Truth Hurts
by snow-fright
Summary: Believing her time in the Labyrinth to be nothing more than a dream, Sarah has moved on with her life. In the three years since, she has all but forgotten the Goblin King and the Underground. Meanwhile, Jareth, has done nothing but dwell on that night, while Sarah lay just out of his reach. His threat nearly forgotten...
1. Aftermath

Broken stairs and fallen, stone walls, lay in heaps around the foundation of the north corner of the castle. The Escher Room, which once had been a room of magnificent beauty and clever deception, had been reduced to rubble. The dust had yet to settle, and had filled the air with a fine sprinkling of stone, which glittered in the air.

A lone figure crouched among the debris. The jacket he wore, which was made of the finest silks and softest leathers, was covered in grime and filth, the shine of the intricate jewels were now muted by a fine layer of dust. Eyes, one blue and one brown, normally filled with such confidence and arrogance, were narrowed in confusion and disbelief. His white, blonde hair, which fell in uneven layers below his narrow shoulders, glittered and shined with a ferocity to rival starlight. He knelt there, slowly turning a crystal ball over and over in his elegant, gloved hands.

He was like a stone statue, hardly moving, but for the crystal, and he continued to turn it over and over, his eyes focused on an image within, one only he could see. His mouth, turned down in frustration as he whispered, so low it was barely audible, a single word, repeated… _'Sarah'._

…

The party had ended and Sarah's room was covered in glitter, streamers, and confetti. Her friends, Hoggle, Ludo, and Sir Didymus, had slipped back into the mirror and back into Sarah's dreams. She would miss them, but hoped that she would see them again.

She shook herself free of confetti, and pulled a blue streamer from her hair, wondering how she was going to explain this mess to her parents. She squared her shoulders and got to work, and 45 minutes later she had most of the room cleaned, with the exception of the glitter, which had nestled into the fibers of the carpet and would need a vacuum to pull it loose.

As she threw the last bits of confetti into the trash she wondered briefly if her parents would notice it in the bin. Deciding not to worry about it, she collapsed onto her bed and turned the nights events over in her head. Already it seemed like a dream. Had she really wished her brother away to the Goblin, only to have that wish come to fruition when the Goblin King, himself, showed up in her brothers room? Her run through the Labyrinth, which at the time and seemed so unfair and difficult, now felt like the product of her over active imagination. She stood and walked to her window, throwing it open to watch the sunrise, it's morning rays chasing away the shadows in her room and finally, she felt a sense of triumph.

She _had_ done it! She had faced the Goblin King in all his glittery, narcissistic glory and she had defeated him. A smile appeared on her face as she remembered the look of disappointment in his eyes as she had uttered the final words,_ 'You have no power over me!'_ She laughed out loud and closed her eyes, playing again in her mind, the last sight she'd had of him, as his face fell and he'd thrown the crystal in the air.

A knock on the door pulled her from the memory and Karen's voice came from the other side, "Sarah? Are you awake?"

"I'm awake." Sarah replied and turned from her window. As she did, she thought she saw movement from the corner of her eye. The mirror. The surface of it seemed to ripple, and as she moved closer to it, the rippling increased. She crossed her room slowly, with each step she felt more and more apprehensive. When she was less then three feet from the mirror, something broke the surface and flew past her, to land across the room. She whirled on it with a gasp.

A single, crystal ball lay in the center of her room, and she instantly recognized it for what it was. She approached, cautiously and when she was close enough she knelt down, reaching out to touch it. Her fingers were inches from it, and she held her breath as one made contact. The crystal immediately shattered in a spray of glitter and from within, a single word broke the silence. Sarah recognized the voice immediately and she felt the blood drain from her face. _'Soon.'_


	2. Free at Last

3 Years Later

...

"Sarah picked up the last box off the floor and gave her room one last glance. Her walls were mostly bare, but for a few band posters, and the shelves held only her most prized childhood toys. All that remained were things she had deemed inappropriate for college life. The bed had been stripped of its sheets and blankets, and packed into the back of her white Jeep Cherokee, along with most of her clothes and the floor length mirror that she had insisted upon bringing. Karen thought that it was going to make her small apartment seem cluttered and she should leave it behind, but some things were more important than extra floor space.

"Sarah!" Her father yelled from downstairs, "if you don't get going you'll be late for orientation!

"I'm coming!" she replied, and with a deep sigh, that was just a little shaky for her tastes, she shut the bedroom door and made her way downstairs.

Her family was waiting by the front door, and Sarah wrapped Toby in a big hug and kissed him fondly on the forehead. "I'll miss you, buddy," she smiled, "I left Lancelot on your bed, he's yours now. Take care of him, ok?"

"Ok! Thanks Sarah!" He beamed up at her before racing up the stairs in pursuit of his favorite stuffed bear.

Karen, her step-mother, smiled at her stiffly, "Don't forget to call us when you get there, you know how your father worries." Sarah nodded in reply, but didn't try for a hug goodbye, and neither did Karen. They just didn't have that type of relationship, though Sarah had forgiven her for marrying her father. They would never be close, but at least they were no longer screaming at each other.

"I'm proud of you, Sarah." Her father said and pulled her in for a tight hug, before leaning back and looking her in the eyes. "I love you." He said, hastily wiping a tear from his eye. "Drive safe."

"I will, Dad, thanks, I love you, too and I promise I'll be fine." She pulled away and her smile felt tight as she opened the front door.

"Oh and Sarah," her dad add before she could step off the porch, "I almost forgot, we won't see you next week, and it's your birthday, so I thought we'd give this to you early." He handed her a card and she took it. She could feel tears stinging the back of her eyes but she tried to hold them off.

"Thank you." She turned to walk away and climb into her jeep, setting the last box on the front seat. She slipped the card her father had given her inside before putting the car into gear and pulling away.

...

Five hours later, Sarah pulled up to the apartment complex that was going to be her home for at least the next four years. It was less than 10 miles from campus and only two blocks from the coffee shop that she had scoped out the month before. She had spoken to the owner and she'd given her a job for nights and weekends.

As she opened the door to the small, two bedroom apartment, she was glad that she had been given a scholarship and that her dad had agreed to pay for housing, as long as she took care of everything else. She was happy that she didn't have to live on campus, and even more happy that her best friend was going to be with her. The place was quiet and as expected, Tonya hadn't arrived yet.

After three trips to the car, Sarah had managed to bring everything up to the third floor and into her new room. She placed the mirror in the corner by the window and stood before it. She looked a mess. The long drive, in a non air conditioned car, in August, had not done her any favors. Her dark hair was mussed and needed washed, her cheeks were flushed and her green eyes looked far too wide.

Hastily she ran a brush through her hair and knew it was the best she could do for now. Orientation started in 30 minutes which left no time for a shower. Tonya was cutting it close, as always, and Sarah had a feeling they would be late. She threw herself onto the bed and smiled at the ceiling. For the first time, in what seemed like forever, she felt free.


	3. A Brief Reminder

"Do you see Trever anywhere?" Tonya asked as they stood near the back of the line, waiting to check in. After a quick look around, Sarah shook her head.

"No, I don't see him, but there's so many people here, I don't think we'll find him." She replied.

The small courtyard was buzzing, most of the people milling around were freshmen waiting to sign in at the small booth, just as she was. "Maybe I should do a quick lap," Tonya suggested, flipping her long blonde hair over her shoulder, trying to peer over the group of girls in front of them.

"Don't you dare! If you leave this line, you'll never find your way back and you promised that you would stay with me." Sarah said, giving her friend a stern look. "You know I hate crowds and strangers."

Tonya gave her a sympathetic look. "Alright, I'll stay here, but keep an eye out." Sarah nodded and swept her eyes over the crowd again, but trying to find a specific tall, blonde boy in this crowd was gonna be damn near impossible. They were a dime a dozen.

"Watch it!" Tonya snapped as a short girl with red curls darted between them, sending Sarah's bag flying from her arm. The girl didn't even pause as she slipped into the crowd and disappeared. Sighing, Sarah dropped to her knees and started to gather her things that had spilled out onto the ground. She did a mental checklist and was confident she had gotten everything. Phone, keys, planner, wallet. She stood and felt a tap on her shoulder.

"I think you forgot this." Turning, Sarah found herself staring into a pair of honey brown eyes, framed by thick lashes. Her breath caught as she stared at a masculine face with lips that looked far too kissable to be real. He had dark hair unkempt, but it didn't take away from the fact that he was absolutely gorgeous. Sarah flushed and grasped desperately for something to say. It seemed the power of speech had failed her.

"Thanks!" Tonya interjected, coming to her rescue. "I'm Tonya, and this is Sarah. Are you a freshmen too?" She asked, friendly as always, and Sarah, realizing she'd been staring, hastily cast her eyes to the ground.

The boy chuckled, "Nah, I'm a Junior, I was just trying to push my way through the crowd when I saw your things go flying. I'm Jack." Sarah peeked at him from behind her lashes and saw that he was still looking at her, though he'd answered Tonya's question. "Here's your book."

Hastily, Sarah took it without even glancing at it and mumbled, "Thanks."

"No problem, maybe I'll see you around, Sarah." He said before turning away.

"I'm sure you will!" Tonya called after him, her blue eyes sparkling with humor. "Oh, Sarah, he is cute!"

"I didn't notice," she lied and finally, glanced at the book in her hand. Sarah felt the air leave her and thought she might faint. "This... this isn't... where did this...?" She trailed off and stared at the cover of a book she hadn't seen in years.

"Tonya, this isn't mine." She said through clenched teeth.

"It isn't? I swear I saw it fall out of your bag." Tonya said, taking the book from her. "The Labyrinth? I've never heard of it. Someone else probably dropped it. Maybe there's a lost and found somewhere." Tonya opened Sarah's bag and dropped the book inside. "Just hold on to it for now. We'll turn it in later... Oh hey, Trever! Over here!" She yelled jumping up and down.

Sarah turned and spotted him headed their way through the crowd. Over his shoulder something caught her eye, but before she could get a good look, the crowd closed behind him and whatever it was, disappeared. She frowned, but then couldn't remember why."

Hey girls," Trever began with a grin, "I've been looking for you everywhere. This is crazy!" Sarah nodded and smiled in return. She'd always liked Trever, for as long as she could remember, and had been thrilled when he and Tonya had started dating. They were the stereotypical, high school sweethearts. Trever had been on the football team and Tonya was head cheerleader. Honestly, Sarah, who was by definition, an introvert, and who spent more time in an art class behind an easel than she did outdoors, didn't have anything in common with them, but they were her best friends. Trever was more than just Tonya's boyfriend, he was almost as close to Sarah as Tonya was, in some ways, more so. Tonya was great, but for whatever reason, Sarah just got along better with boys than girls.

Sarah tried to follow the conversation as Tonya and Trever talked excitedly about classes starting and all the events that were going on this week on campus, but her mind kept drifting to the book in her bag. Her fingers were itching to pull it out and give it a solid once over, because no matter how much she fought it, she felt sure that the book was hers. It looked just like her old copy, the one that she had locked in a box two years ago and buried in the basement of her parents house. The one she promised herself she would forget about after eleven months of therapy, and eleven months of everyone telling her that it had been a dream. Telling her that the night she'd spent in search of her brother, had never happened. She had sealed the book in a box, wrapped it in duct tape and told herself that it was not real, and now two years later, she believed that it had been a dream. It was nothing more than a conjuring of her own imagination.

Finally, after what felt like a lifetime, they reached the front of the line, and after signing a clip board, were given packets filled with paperwork, maps, and flyers for various social events. She bit her lip and tried not to groan out loud. Tonya was already making plans to go to as many back-to-school parties as humanly possible. Sarah hated parties, but knew she probably wouldn't be able to talk her way out of all of them.

"Oh look! There's a party tonight over on the east side of campus! We should go." She was walking ahead of them with a bounce in her step and Sarah tried desperately to think of an excuse not to.

"I don't know, Tonya, I'm pretty tired from the drive, aren't you?" Sarah said hopefully.

"No way! I have so much energy. Come out with us, Sarah. I need a good dancing partner. Lord knows Trever can't dance for shit." She said, barely supressing a smile.

"Hey. I'm not that bad." Trever said defensively, making a grab for Tonya's arm, attempting to restrain her constant bouncing.

Oh yes you are! You're like a lanky giraffe!" Tonya giggled and Sarah couldn't help but laugh with her.

"You really are." She told Trever, leaning into him playfully. He threw an arm around each of them and shrugged.

"Whatever, just know you are missing out on some killer moves." He said smiling. Tonya rolled her eyes and Sarah stifled another laugh. Before long, they reached Sarah's jeep and she removed herself from beneath Trever's arm.

"I'll see you back at the apartment." She told Tonya before unlocking her door.

"Ok, but please think about coming out with us. It'll be fun." Tonya implored, sticking out her bottom lip in her trademark pout.

"You know that doesn't work on me," Sarah chided. "But I'll think about it, ok?"

"That's all I ask!" Tonya beamed, before her and Trever waved goodbye and turned away, walking hand in hand toward his beat up red truck.

Sarah watched them for a minute, a small smile on her lips. As she turned to her jeep, a chill went up her spine and she froze. The seconds ticked by and Sarah felt that she was being watched, she whirled and searched the thinning crowd of students, searching for the source of her discomfort. She saw nothing and no one, and after a few seconds more, the moment passed. She bit her lip and turned back to her car, climbing inside and locking the door after her.

"She took a shaky breath but before she started her car, she thought she heard the soft hoot of an owl. She cast her eyes upward and searched the sky through her windshield. She saw nothing and rationalized that it was likely a student who yelled, and because of her nerves, she misinterpreted the sound. She pulled away from the curb and started the short drive home, not seeing the bird as it dipped down low behind her, and landed on the branch of a tall tree. It's eyes following the white jeep as it turned a corner and disappeared.


	4. Foolish Girl

Sarah sat perched on her bed, sipping a cup of mint tea and staring at the book that she'd been mistakenly given. She was afraid to touch it, she knew that if she did, if she picked it up and examined it, like her fingers itched to do, she would see the inevitable truth. The book was hers. It was the exact copy that she had sealed up in the basement.

"How had it gotten into my bag?", she pondered aloud. No one knew that she had put it in the basement. She had told her parents that she had tossed it, but she couldn't quite bring herself to follow through with it.

She stood and circled her bed, keeping her eye on the book as she did so, as if afraid it would leap off the bed and attack her. Sighing, she set the cup down on her dresser and shook her head. This was stupid. Her dad probably found it and put it in her bag. That was it, she decided, and she would ask him the next time she spoke to him. Satisfied, she walked to the bathroom and turned on the shower, allowing the bathroom to fill with steam, before she stripped and stepped beneath the hot stream of water.

The heat eased her muscles, which she hadn't realized had been tight with anxiety. As the water washed over her body, she tried to forget the odd events of the day. First the book, then the owl, it was strange. Strange that, after three years, this would be happening now.

She never let herself think of the Labyrinth, for a lot of reasons. Mostly because she didn't want to slip back into it, didn't want to let the dreams, which she had tried to forget, consume her again. But also because it was painful and confusing.

She had spent months afterward, standing in front of her mirror and screaming for her friends, begging Hoggle, Ludo, or Didymus to answer her. To show her that she wasn't crazy. She had needed them, and they had abandoned her. Finally, one night when she had gotten really desperate, she had even called out for him, for the face of her nightmares and darkest dreams, for the Goblin King. Asking him to come and show her that he was real. But he never came, she'd cried herself to sleep that night, and the next day she'd hidden the book, and all other reminders of it, of him, away.

She could still see his eyes, one brown and one blue, watching her... _you're eyes can be so cruel_. She knew that the words had been for her, but he had been the one to be cruel.

She determinedly cast him from her mind. She would not do this again, she was stronger than this, she had beaten this. Turning off the water, she climbed out of the shower, wrapped a towel around her and returned to her room. Once there, she grabbed the book from her bed and buried it in the bottom of her underwear drawer. Out of sight, out of mind.

"Sarah? Are you in there?" Tonya called out from the living room.

"I'm here!" She replied, "just getting dressed, I'll be out in a minute."

She grabbed a clean pair of panties and as she shut the drawer, she shut the book, the Labyrinth, and the Goblin King out of her thoughts.

...

"I am so glad you decided to come out with us!" Tonya said, hanging onto her arm, buzzing with barely contained energy. "I bet this party is awesome."

Sarah sighed. "I only agreed to come so I could be designated driver. I know you two. I've seen you at parties and am well aware that neither of you know when to say no." Tonya scowled at her and Sarah returned it with a scowl of her own. "You know I'm right."

They were all underage, sure, but that hadn't stopped Tonya or Trever from divulging in alcohol at parties. Sarah on the other hand hated the smell, and the taste. She'd only been drunk sure, but she didn't drink often because she hated the hangover.

"Whatever." Tonya said taking the porch stairs two at a time. The door was wide open and people were streaming in and out. The house shook with the music and Sarah could already feel a headache forming behind her eyes. This was going to be a long night.

As they entered the front room of the house, Sarah averted her eyes. They weren't even ten feet in, and they had already encountered a loud game of strip poker. Boys and girls in various stages of undress were seated around a table in the corner. The couch had been pushed back for a makeshift dance floor and already you could see that many of the party goers were trashed.

Tonya and Trever confidently walked through the room towards, what had to be the kitchen. Sarah followed with less enthusiasm, trying to avoid touching anyone. By the time she reached the next room, Tonya and Trever were throwing back shots of brown liquid, which Sarah guessed was tequila, since that was all Tonya would drink.

She leaned against the door and watched as Tonya and Trever threw another shot down the hatch. They knew that Sarah didn't approve, but she had long given up trying to change their partying ways. Instead she would sit in the background and try to keep them from making fools of themselves.

"Hey! I know you." Sarah felt hot breath on her neck and jerked back. "Whoa, whoa, sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." She followed the source of the voice and found herself face to face with Jack. "It's... don't tell me... it's... Sarah! Sarah, right?" He asked, he words slurring just a touch.

"Um, right." Sarah replied. She cast her eyes around desperate for an escape. She didn't do well with people, especially one on one. Tonya was usually her buffer.

"You wanna drink?" Jack asked her and gestured toward the bar, which was so full it looked like a shelf from the liquor store.

"N-no, no thanks." She stammered. "I don't um... I don't drink." She had to stop a nervous giggle from escaping her lips. Jack thankfully, didn't seem to notice.

"Hey, Nate, two beers!" He yelled across the room and Sarah's eyes went wide. Either he hadn't heard her, or he hadn't cared.

"No, really, th-thanks, but I have to, uh... I have to drive." She was struggling and she knew it. He looked down at her.

"Alright. No big." He smiled. "Nate! One beer and a coke." He amended, and Sarah was grateful. A boy with hair so black, it looked dyed, appeared in front of them, he handed them each a cup and Sarah sniffed it cautiously, before taking a sip. It was coke.

"Thanks." She smiled at Jack and Nate shyly, taking a bigger swallow. It was cold and Sarah hadn't realized how thirsty she was. She felt herself being jerked sideways and barely held onto the cup.

"Sarah, come dance with me." Tonya was tugging on her and none too gently. Sarah groaned inwardly and resigned herself to the inevitable humiliation.

"Duty calls." She mumbled, and Jack laughed. He took her cup and wished her luck as Tonya dragged her back into the other room.

Sarah had been Tonya's dance partner for two years and even she had to admit that when the two of them started, it was fun. She also knew that they moved well together. After so long, they each knew when to grind, where to shimmy and complimented each other beautifully. As she let the music take hold of her, she lost herself in the sway of the beat and in Tonya, as they gyrated against eachother. Before she knew it, she was hot and the simple camisole she had worn was wet with sweat.

"I need a drink!" She yelled in Tonya's ear. She nodded in response and Sarah waved Trever over to take her place. He slipped in beside Tonya and let her bump and grind while he did little more than stand there. Sarah slipped back into the kitchen and spotting the boy from before, Nate, asked him for another coke. He handed her a cup and she gulped it down thankfully.

She decided she needed air and slipped out the back door. The backyard of the house was open and led to a crop of trees that looked like a small forest. As Sarah stepped down the stairs and out onto the lawn, a wave of dizziness hit her. She fell to her hands and knees and shook her head, trying to clear it.

"Hey, are you okay?" She looked up through a layer of her own hair and recognized Nate standing in front of her with another boy.

"Y-Yeah." She managed, before trying to climb to her feet. "A little too much fun, I think." She tried to laugh and felt the world go sideways. Nate caught her and Sarah thought she'd muttered a thank you, but wasn't sure, and she could feel consciousness slipping away.

Things got hazy as she fought to stay awake.

"Come on," said Nate, "you better lay down." She felt herself being lifted up and passed out. What felt like hours, but was probably only minutes later, Sarah started to come to. She heard mumbled voices, but couldn't make anything out. She was aware of a cool breeze and thought she must be outside, but wasn't sure. It was too cold and she realized that her breasts were exposed. She felt a flash of panic and she struggled to pull her shirt down, but her hands wouldn't cooperate.

"Hurry, she's waking up!" A male said and she thought dimly that she recognized it. She felt clumsy hands at the button on her jeans and she managed a ragged, "N-no", but it was barely above a whisper.

The hands at her waist disappeared and she heard a surprised shout.

"What the hell?" the voice exclaimed and another voice, "Who the fuck are you?"

Sarah struggled to open her eyes, but they felt too heavy and she just couldn't manage it. She heard a thud, and then a howl of pain from the second voice.

She tried again to open her eyes and managed to, but only a slit, which she could barely see through. The world was blurry but she was able to make out two shapes in front of her eyes. One was tall and blonde, but his hair was too shiny and brilliant to be real. The other, was too dark to see, and the darker shape launched itself at the other. Her eyes slipped closed and by the time she managed to pry them open again, the bright blonde was the only figure left.

"Sarah." This voice was new and yet, it was familiar, so familiar that she knew she must be dreaming. She struggled for full consciousness, but could feel the darkness pulling at her again.

"Foolish girl," was the last thing she heard before she was overcome with blackness.


	5. The After Party

"You have no power over me…"

Sarah was pulled from unconsciousness by the ringing of a phone. She reached out blindly, trying to find the source of the incessant noise. Finally, she found her phone on the floor.

"Hello?" She said, groggily.

"Sarah? Where the hell did you go?" Tonya sounded worried.

"What do you mean? I'm at home, asleep. Where are you?" She yawned loudly and glanced at the clock. It was about two a.m.

"You're at home? Why did you leave the party?" Tonya asked, her voice turning from worried to confused.

"The party? What pa…." Sarah trailed off as the memories started to return. She had been at a party. Her and Tonya had danced, she'd gone outside and then… "Oh my god! Tonya, I think I was drugged. I.. I passed out and someone was…" She couldn't finish, horror washed over her and she began to tremble. She had almost been raped. She remembered that now. Someone had saved her. Someone with an all too familiar voice. But that couldn't be. He wasn't real, he was a part of her dreams and delusions.

"What?" Tonya was perplexed. "What do you mean drugged?" Her voice was muffled as she said something to someone on the other end of the line. "Trever and I are leaving now. We'll be there soon, alright?"

Sarah nodded and then realized that Tonya couldn't see her. "Ok." She replied and then Tonya disconnected the line. Sarah rolled onto her side and curled up into a ball. She could feel the tears burning in her eyes and fought to not let them spill over. It was a loosing battle and soon she could feel them streaming down her face.

She had almost been raped. She had almost lost something that she had held onto fiercely for years. She'd had boyfriends, sure, but she'd never had sex. She'd been waiting for love and it hadn't come into her life yet. And tonight, it had nearly been taken from her. Worse than that, she would have had no idea who had taken it. She could barely remember that there were two boys, or was it three? The details were so blurry and she was barely holding onto them. Someone had saved her, and somehow, she'd gotten home, and not just home, but into her own bed. How? How had they known where she'd lived? Which room was hers?

She chased away the absurd thought that it had really been him. She had been drugged and that had made her hallucinate, there was absolutely no way that the Goblin King was real and it was completely crazy to think that he could have saved her, that he would have saved her.

"Sarah!" Tonya burst through her bed room door and descended onto the bed, Trever was close behind and stood at the foot of the door. They each had a look of concern on their faces as they took in Sarah's tears and assessed the situation. "What happened?" She urged her, as she wiped the tears away from her cheeks.

"I… I think I was drugged. After I left you, I got another drink from… from Nate, he must have put something in it, because I got really dizzy and then passed out, and someone was… they were…" Sarah let the sentence trail off, she knew that the indication was clear. "But then someone stopped them. I don't know who, but I heard them fighting. I passed out again, and then you called and I was home."

The look Tonya gave her was a mix of concern and disbelief. "Did they, I mean, are you ok?" She asked, and Sarah nodded. A flicker of relief flashed in her eyes and Sarah knew that Tonya had understood. Tonya knew that she was still a virgin.

"Was it Nate?" Trever spoke for the first time, and Sarah looked at him, finally. She could see that his hands were clenched into fists and his eyes were narrowed in fury.

"Honestly, I don't know," She answered truthfully, "but I think so. He gave me the drink and he was there when I first passed out. It makes sense." Trever's jaw clenched and she could see that he was barely containing his anger. He nodded once and didn't say anything else.

"Do you want us to stay with you?" Tonya asked and Sarah shook her head. "Are you sure? It's no problem."

"I'm really ok, I think." She pulled her knees into her chest and closed her eyes. "I just want to go to sleep and forget tonight ever happened." She felt the bed shift as Tonya stood.

"OK, but should you need us, for any reason at all…" Sarah felt a jolt of recognition at the words. Her eyes flew open, but they had already left and her room was dark and empty. She sat up suddenly and looked towards her mirror in the corner. She saw only herself staring back, but felt a sudden ache in her chest.

"I need you," she whispered into the darkness, "all of you." As always, there was no reply and Sarah lay back down, watching her reflection as she did so. The tears came again, and for the first time since she'd locked the Labyrinth away, she cried over her lost friends, until she fell asleep.


	6. Peach Schnapps

Sarah spent the next several days in the apartment, hiding in her room in order to avoid the worried looks of Tonya and Trever. She still had some unpacking to do and hadn't quite settled into her new place, anyway. She convinced herself that she wasn't avoiding anyone, she was just busy. As she was cleaning out the last box, she found the birthday card from her dad. She had forgotten all about it. She decided it was ok to open it, her birthday was only two days away.

Inside the envelope was a simple, sleek card, the front of which stated simply, 'Happy Birthday!', she opened it and gasped when a check for $1,000.00 slipped from within. A warm feeling came over her as she read what her father had written inside.

My Dear Daughter,

We are so proud of the woman you have become. When you were growing up, I never knew quite what to do with such a strong, stubborn, and imaginative girl. You were always lost in your own head, living in fantasy worlds that no one else could see. I never believed that there was anything wrong with you, you just saw the world differently than the rest of us, and that is a wonderful thing. I hope that you find your way back to the creative girl you were and that you quit letting the rest of the world dictate what is normal for you. You are perfect in everyway and you should celebrate who you really are. My dear Sarah, never stop dreaming. I love you and wish you the best 18th birthday any girl could ask for. Call often and never forget us.

Love Always,

Dad

By the end of the letter tears were streaming down her cheeks and Sarah felt rejuvenated. She put the check in her wallet and the card on her dresser, before jumping in the shower. After a quick clean, she got dressed in a short denim skirt and the shirt that Karen had gotten her a few months ago. She never wore it, because she didn't think she could pull it off. It was a halter top in a soft satin that revealed her back, leaving a thin piece of fabric to encircle to the front, it was a deep green and set off her eyes beautifully. She dried her hair and pulled it up in an elegant loose bun, applied simple, but striking eyeliner and mascara, finishing it off with a bright red lip. Last, she slipped on her favorite pair of platform wedge sandals, and left her room.

She found Tonya sitting on the couch, reading a book, in the living room and stood before her, head held high. "Come on, Tonya, this is our last Friday before classes start, let's go out." Tonya looked up from her book and her eyes widened.

"Whoa, Sarah, you look hot! Give me ten minutes." She jumped from the couch and Sarah returned to her room to grab her cell phone, she also slipped her id and a couple of twenties in the pocket of her skirt. She didn't want to be weighed down by a purse tonight, she wanted freedom.

"There's a couple of parties we could go to." Tonya was saying as they climbed into Sarah's jeep.

"A party sounds perfect." Sarah replied and pulled out onto the street. She followed Tonya's directions and soon pulled in front of a house that was about ten miles away and they climbed out. They could hear the music coming from within and Sarah smiled in anticipation.

They walked in the door and Sarah immediately headed towards the alcohol, she lined up three shots of peach schnapps for her and three shots of tequila for Tonya. She saw a flash of concern in her friends eyes, but before she could say anything, Sarah threw back all three shots and waited as Tonya did the same. She grabbed Tonya's hand and headed for the dance floor. Immediately, Sarah lost herself in the music and just danced. She rested her arm on Tonya's shoulder and they gyrated and grinded against each other. Sarah blocked out all thoughts of embarrassment, all thoughts of negativity and just had fun. Her and Tonya danced and took a few more shots, and about an hour later, Sarah knew that she was very heavily buzzed and just a step away from being trashed.

For the first time, Sarah glanced around the room as she moved against Tonya and a flash brilliant blonde hair caught her eye. She turned her head toward it, but it was gone before she got a good look. She strained to see around the bodies moving around her and there, between a boy and a girl, she caught a glimpse of the blonde again. She untangled herself from Tonya and moved toward it, but as she approached the couple, she saw the bright color again in the corner of her eye, she whirled and there was a boy, with bright brilliant blonde hair, the same color as his, but it was cut shorter. He had his back to her, and as she moved towards him, another figure moved into her line of sight, and as they did, the boy disappeared.

Sarah froze, she was pulled back into memories. Flashes of another night and a ballroom filled with swirling bodies. She had been in pursuit of the Goblin King then, just as she was now in pursuit of another with the same shining hair. She felt hot breath on her neck and spun, but no one was standing close enough to her. The music changed, and a haunting melody began, it sounded achingly familiar and Sarah felt her heartbeat increase.

She caught sight of the boy, again but before she could reach him he was lost in the crowd. _I'll place the sky within your eyes…_ The lyrics caught her attention and she felt like she was slipping into a dream. The room began to spin and she fought desperately against the crowd. _I'll be there for you, as the world falls down._

Sarah thought she must be going mad. She had somehow fallen into the illusions of long ago, of the enchanted peach that the Goblin King had made Hoggle give to her. But this was the real world, she was still at the party, she knew that. _Falling in love… _

She spun around and searched for the boy, she spotted him again, this time he was standing near the front door, and he was facing her. He met her eyes, and though this boy was not the Goblin King, she felt a surge of recognition, a sense of familiarity. He had blue eyes, bright and clear, his cheekbones were sharp and he had slim lips that were currently curled up in the corners. He was smirking at her. A piece of white hair had fallen into his eyes and Sarah felt her heart stop. She took a step towards him and as she did, he slipped out the front door.

Sarah darted after him and stepped out onto the porch, her eyes searched the darkness. He was gone, just like that, he'd vanished. Tonya appeared behind her and distantly Sarah heard her asking what was wrong. Sarah didn't reply. Her eyes darted back and forth, desperate for another sight of the boy, but he was nowhere.

"I think I'm ready to go home." She muttered to Tonya and together they walked to her jeep. She knew that she shouldn't be driving, but felt startlingly sober after her near encounter and insisted to Tonya that she was fine. They made it back to the apartment in one piece and without saying good night, Sarah went to her room and closed the door.

Sarah stood before her mirror, she was so lost. Why now? Why now that she had moved out and was entering adulthood? She had put this ridiculousness behind her. The Goblin King was not real, she had not gone into the Labyrinth, none of it had happened. So why were her childhood fantasies resurfacing now?

"I wish the Goblins would come and take me away, right now." She stared defiantly at her reflection as she said the words and held her breath. A minute passed, then two. Finally after ten minutes Sarah breathed easy. There, that was the proof wasn't it? She turned her back on her reflection and stripped. She slipped on a simple camisole and climbed into bed.

"Makes no sense at all." She whispered into the darkness and felt herself slipping off into sleep, the taste of peaches on her tongue.


	7. Jack and the Bean

Sarah woke up early the next morning. She would have liked to sleep off her hangover, but it was her first day of work. After a quick shower, she got dressed and was out the door by 7:45, it was a five minute walk to work and she arrived with a few minutes to spare, so she ordered herself a coffee before starting her shift.

She spent most of the morning shadowing the other baristas, learning how to use the espresso machine and what went into each drink. There were almost limitless combinations, but they kept a cheat sheet behind the counter for a quick reference. Her new boss and the owner of the coffee shop, Miss Ranier, or Jess, as she preferred to be called, was in her forties and was tall and thin and seemed to be into the new age era. She sold crystals as well as coffee and offered palm readings every Sunday from 4-6 p.m. in a closed off back room.

The other baristas were college students, like her, and two of the three employees were currently in the shop. One was a small, petite girl with a short brown pixie cut, and her name was Sway. She didn't say much to Sarah, but a quick 'hello'. Sarah had a feeling they were not going to be friends. The other was another girl, about Sarah's height, but about 40 lbs. heavier. Not fat, but a long way from being called thin, either. She had friendly brown eyes and auburn hair to her chin. Her name was Melody, but preferred Mel, and she was very talkative. Sarah found she didn't have to say much, that Mel would carry on the conversation with very little input from her. Sarah quickly found out that she was a sophomore, but local and so had been working at the Bean since the beginning of the summer.

Currently, she was showing Sarah how to make a macchiato, but was also filling her in on their missing co-worker.

"His name is Jack and he is really cute. He's funny, too. He's older than us, a junior, but you'll meet him later on, he should be in around one." She was chattering away, and Sarah couldn't help but wonder if Jack was the Jack she'd met on two occasions before, most recently at the party that she was trying desperately to forget.

The morning flew by and soon Sway left to go home and Sarah was allowed to take a lunch break. She sat in one of the tables out in front of the building and pulled out a very worn copy of her favorite book, Demon in My View. While she read it for perhaps the twentieth time, she picked at a muffin and sipped on a chai tea.

"What are you reading?" Sarah glanced up at the familiar voice and was not all that surprised to see Jack, the one and same to who she had met previously. He stood before her leaning casually against her table, a slight smile on his lips. She held her book up so he could read the cover. "Is it any good?" He asked and she nodded enthusiastically.

"It's one of my favorites." She committed the page number to memory and closed the book before setting it down. "So you work here, too, huh?" She asked as she took another sip of tea.

"Too?" He questioned and then realization dawned on him. "You're the new girl. Jess mentioned that someone was starting today."

"That's me." Sarah replied smiling. "Disappointed?" Was she flirting? Surely not, she never flirted.

"Pleased, actually." He said before taking the empty seat at her table. "It'll give us a chance to get to know each other." He met her eyes and Sarah felt her insides melt. "What happened to you at the party the other night? You missed all the excitement." Almost as soon as the warmth had entered her body, she felt it turn cold.

"I um… I had to get home." She stammered and focused her eyes on the cup in her hands. "What excitement?"

"Nate and Cameron got their asses handed to them. Apparently, my buddy, Jay caught them in the woods trying to rape some girl and he knocked their teeth in." He chuckled and Sarah's blood ran cold.

"Who.. Who was the girl?" She managed as she sipped her tea and tried to act nonchalant. "I mean, did you know her?"

"Actually, I don't know who it was. Jay didn't say. I guess he took her home and made sure she was ok. He called me from his car and told me what happened. He was driving her home then, I think." He shrugged as if it didn't matter and Sarah turned this info over in her mind.

So her mysterious rescuer had a name, Jay. She wondered again how he had known where she lived and how he had gotten inside.

"Well," Jack started before standing up, "I better get inside, my shift is about to start."

"Oh my god," Sarah jerked so suddenly she almost dropped her cup, " my lunch ended almost ten minutes ago." She stood hastily and Jack held the door for her.

"Don't worry, I'll tell Jess that I was going over procedures with you." He smiled at her and Sarah returned it. "I've been here so long that she'll let you off the hook."

"Oh, ok, thanks." As the second half of her shift started, Jess instructed her to take a few customers orders and had her try her hand at making a few drinks also. By three o'clock, Sarah felt confident and relaxed.

"So, Sarah, what are you up to tonight?" Jack asked her as he handed off a drink to a middle aged man, who took it roughly before hurrying out the door.

"Nothing, probably. I had a rough night last night and I think I should stay in," She replied, wiping off the espresso machine as she did so. "Besides I have to be back here at eight, again anyway."

"Oh." He sounded disappointed and Sarah almost took it back.

"But maybe tomorrow night," she offered "I mean, if Tonya doesn't have anything planned, I guess it is my birthday…" She trailed off and instantly wished she hadn't mentioned her birthday.

"It's your birthday and you don't have anything planned?" Disbelief was clear in his voice. "How old are you turning, 18?" Sarah nodded in reply and Jack's smile was dazzling. "Well, I know a club not far from here, it's an 18 and older. They only serve alcohol on the top floor. Why don't we go? Invite your friends."

Sarah hesitated. On the one hand, she did have class the next morning, but on the other, it was her birthday, and it wasn't as if she was going to drink. She returned his smile with a grin and a nod.

"Alright, deal." She turned to the register as a customer came up to the counter.

"Awesome." He said happily. "I'll pick you up at nine." Sarah smiled to herself as she took the customers order. A cute, charming, and seemingly nice guy had just invited her to club, and she had said yes. For the first time, she was really looking forward to her 18 birthday.


	8. Anticipation

Sarah spent the next day filled with a buzz of anticipation. The first four hours of her shift passed by fairly uneventfully, and then when Jack got in at one, they spent the afternoon talking and flirting. Sarah found that she felt fairly comfortable with him. Which was a new experience for her. It usually took at least a month for her to feel comfortable, and longer than that before she would ever consider them her friend. To say that Sarah had trust issues, was an understatement.

After telling Jack where she lived, Sarah left work and headed home, she had a good five hours until Jack would be there to pick her up and she would need at least half of it to get ready. She wanted to make sure she looked awesome, it was after all, the only time she would turn 18. Sarah walked in her front door and yelled for Tonya, she got no reply and knew that she was probably out with Trever. She had told both of them that they were going to a club for her birthday with Jack and Tonya had been thrilled. She had followed Sarah around half of the night before, wanting every detail. Tonya was now convinced that they were a couple and would have a joint wedding. Sarah wasn't entirely sure how she had jumped to this conclusion, seeing as it wasn't really even a date. She was fairly sure that Jack was meeting some other friends there and had basically told herself that he was just being nice and would surely leave her within an hour of arriving at the club.

Sarah entered her room and threw open her small closet and mentally threw out ever article of clothing she owned. There was nothing that she wanted to wear tonight. She sent a quick text to Tonya and let her know that she would be raiding her closet. Although Tonya was leaner than she was, Sarah was a bit bustier and actually had hips, Tonya had been far too athletic and had kept her body toned and lean as a result. They were still roughly the same size. After rifling through a few tops, Sarah found a black, woven dress that was more a net than a dress. On Tonya it was loose and casual, but Sarah knew that it would hug her beautifully. She returned to her room and found the flimsy, cream colored slip dress that she had never worn. It had belonged to her mom, and was one of the few things that she had rescued from Karen's 'cleansing' of her mom's belongings. It had tiny straps and was edged in lace, it was extremely short, barely covering her ass, and the material was so thin that she never would have worn it by itself. The black, woven dress was the only thing that kept her from feeling naked. She laid both dresses on her bed and pulled out a pair of black strapped, high heels. Satisfied, she left to go shower.

Four hours later, Sarah had just finished drying her hair. She decided to leave it down and ran a straightener over it to tame any fly-aways. She had put on a bit more makeup than usual and stood staring at her reflection. The two dresses, layered on top of each other had just the right amount of hard and soft and she loved the way it made her feel. She was ready to take on the world and she strode confidently out into the living room to wait for Jack.

Tonya and Trever were sitting at the kitchen table and they looked up when she entered. Trever whistled softly.

"Damn, Sarah, you look… wow." Tonya's mouth had fallen open and Sarah blushed lightly.

"Is it too much?" She started to fidget, pulling on the edge of the black dress. "Should I change?"

"No!" Tonya exclaimed. "It's great, really, I've just never seen you dress so… sexy before. It's good though, you look good."

"Really, Sarah, you look hot." Trever grinned and Sarah relaxed. "So Jack is picking you up, and we'll follow in my truck?" He asked and stood up, stretching. "Where are we going, again?"

"Um.. I'm not sure. It's some club that Jack mentioned. I didn't catch the name, though." She slipped her phone out of her bra and checked the time. It was nearly nine and her heart sped slightly. Just nerves. She put the phone back into her bra and as she did, there was a knock on the door. Trever opened it and Jack stood there looking gorgeous in just jeans and a simple black t-shirt, under a button up. He had the sleeves rolled up and Sarah found that she was grinning stupidly.

Jack looked past Trever and his eyes found Sarah, she saw them widen slightly and he seemed at a loss for words. A few seconds ticked by and Sarah felt a small thrill of satisfaction. Trever cleared his throat and Sarah watched as Jack pulled himself together.

"Are you guys ready?" He tore his eyes from Sarah and his voice sounded a little rough.

"Oh we're ready!" Tonya sung out as she grabbed Sarah's arm. "Let's go." They made their way downstairs and Tonya and Trever walked across the street to his truck as Jack opened the passenger door to his car for Sarah. Her mouth dropped open.

"This is your car?" She asked as she gave him a surprised look. He drove a classic, light blue, Mustang and it was in beautiful shape. She didn't know a lot about cars, but she knew enough to truly appreciate the vehicle. He glanced away, as if embarrassed.

"Yeah, I um… I come from kind of a rich family." He shrugged and Sarah got the sense that he didn't want to talk about it. She bit back any questions and climbed into the passenger side. He shut the door and hurried to climb in his side. He started the engine and it roared to life, the sound sent a thrill through Sarah. Yes, she could definitely appreciate a car like this.

The drive to the club was filled with comfortable small talk and Sarah felt herself relax into it. It was a short drive, no more than about 15 minutes and as they pulled into a parking spot, Jack killed the engine.

"I know that you aren't old enough to drink, once we get in there, but I thought, it is your birthday." He reached behind her seat and removed a small bottle. He handed it to her and she removed the lid. She sniffed it cautiously. It smelled sweet and, like a fruit that she couldn't quite place.

"What is it?" She asked as she took a tentative sip. It burned the back of her throat, but was sweet and she found that she really liked it.

"Peach tea and vodka." He replied and her eyes narrowed slightly.

"Peach, huh?" She took another drink and then another.

"Slow down." Jack laughed as he pulled the bottle from her hands. He replaced the cap and set it back behind her seat. "Come on," He said as he opened he car door, "you're friends are waiting." She turned her head and sure enough, Trever and Tonya were standing at the back of the car.

She climbed out and they all made their way to the front of the building. "What's the name of this club, anyway?" Sarah asked. She didn't see a sign but there was a small line of people waiting to get inside a pair of double doors. There was absolutely nothing that hinted as to what lay inside.

"The Underground." Jack replied a wicked glint in his eye.


	9. The Underground

Sarah felt her blood run cold and she stopped walking. Tonya sent her a questioning look and Jack pulled gently on her arm. Her feet felt stuck to the ground and she couldn't move.

"The Underground?" She muttered and Jack nodded.

"Sarah?" Tonya was saying her name and Sarah knew that she should answer but her mind was reeling. This was just too much. Jack entered her line of sight.

"Sarah, what is it?" There was a look of genuine concern in his eyes and she took a deep breath. Coincidence, it was just a coincidence. She tried to conjure up a smile, but it felt foreign on her lips.

"N.. nothing." She replied through gritted teeth. "I'm fine, it's nothing." She forced her feet to start moving and Jack stepped aside. Tonya exchanged a puzzled look with Trever, who shrugged, and the two of them followed behind. Jack didn't stop at the back of the line, instead he walked up to the bouncer and whispered something into his ear. He was a big man, blonde and built like a truck. He gave Sarah a very obvious once over, nodded to Jack and opened the door for them. The four of them entered into a very dark hallway. The only light source was the green exit sign over head. The hallway stretched on either side of them, but it was so dark that Sarah couldn't see an end in either direction. Jack turned to the left and walked off into the darkness. Sarah bit her lip and started after him, Tonya and Trever right behind her.

After a few minutes of walking she was surprised when she ran into Jack. She couldn't see in the darkness and hadn't known that he had stopped.

"Sorry." She said and felt him chuckle.

"No problem." He replied and Sarah was suddenly staring into a soft light. Jack had opened a door in the darkness and it opened up into a dimly lit stair well. She could hear music very faintly from somewhere down below and she sent Jack a questioning look. He smiled at her.

"The club is literally underground." He explained. "That's why it's called The Underground." Sarah felt her body relax slightly. At least there was a simple explanation for the name, but it still seemed too much of a coincidence, especially with everything that had been happening to her lately. Still, she followed Jack down the flight of stair, he held her hand, helping to steady her. At the bottom of the stairs, the music was louder and he released her hand to open another door.

Sarah's senses were immediately assaulted by the loud thrum of music and she stepped inside. They stood at the top of a large staircase that opened up onto a dance floor. It was surrounded by tables and at the far end was a giant stage. A band was playing, the lead singer, a young woman was belting out a soft sultry song. Sarah swept her eyes upward and caught sight of a balcony directly above the stage, a twisting staircase off to the left of the stage led to it and a sign next to the staircase read '21 and Older Only'. A giant chandelier hung from the ceiling and lights hung from it, giving the illusion of stars or fireflies. To the right of the stage was a small bar and Jack gestured towards it. She nodded and he took her hand again, before leading her to the bar.

Jack held up four fingers to the woman behind the counter and she produced four champagne flutes filled with a light pink liquid. Jack handed one to each of them and held up his own glass in a toast.

"To Sarah. Happy Birthday!" They all raised their glasses and Sarah took a long drink. It was bubbly and tickled her nose, but was wonderfully sweet… and familiar.

"Peaches? Again?" She asked Jack and he grinned.

"It is my favorite." He took another drink and she did the same. Tonya finished her drink and began to drag Trever to the dance floor. Sarah watched as the were lost in the crowd. She took a final sip of her drink and Jack took it from her. "Come on, there's someone I want you to meet." He took her hand again and together they made their way to the winding staircase.

"Um.. Jack? I'm not 21." Sarah pulled gently on his hand in hers and he smiled at her over his shoulder.

"Don't worry about it. No one will stop you, just don't try to order a drink." He began to ascend the stairs and Sarah followed, hesitantly. They reached the top, and the man checking ID's didn't even glance at her as Jack slipped past him. "See? Everyone knows me here."

The balcony was small, but still had room for around 100 people and at the moment it was filled to capacity. Jack was weaving his way between people and since he still had a hold of her hand, Sarah had little choice but to follow. She was still glancing around nervously, when Jack came to a stop in front of a table.

Jack sat in an open chair at the table and Sarah started to sit as well, when she finally looked at the other occupants of the table. There were two girls, both beautiful. One of them had eyes so dark, they looked black, and hair so red, that Sarah would have bet her car that it was dyed. Her skin was too pale, and it made Sarah wonder if she ever saw the sun. The other girl, had hair so white that again, there was no way that it was natural, her green eyes glinted wickedly and her skin seemed almost luminescent. Both girls were way too pretty and Sarah felt completely inadequate. However, it was the third person at the table that made her heart stop. White blonde hair and clear blue eyes, sharp cheekbones. It was the boy from the party. The one that had played hide and seek before vanishing into the dark night.

"Sarah, this is Jay, his sister, Kai, and their cousin, Raven, but everyone calls her Rave." Jack made the introductions, but Sarah felt like she had swallowed her tongue and Jay raised an eyebrow at her.

"You alright, Sarah dear? You look like you've seen a ghost." Jay smirked at her. His voice was soft, and he had an accent. Again she felt a jolt of familiarity. She knew that voice, but she also knew that it didn't belong to Jay. It belonged to someone Sarah had struggled to forget.

"Fine." She squeaked and cleared her throat. "I'm fine." She tried again, and this time her voice sounded more like itself. One of the girls giggled, but Sarah didn't even glance in their direction. This boy had completely captured her attention.

"Are you sure?" Jack whispered at her shoulder. "You really do look a little pale." Sarah nodded in response, but kept her eyes on Jay. "You want another drink?" He asked.

"Please." She answered and felt Jack stand beside her. "Anyone else?" He asked the table and Jay gave a minute shake of his head, he whispered something into Kai's ear, who rolled her eyes.

"Come on, Rave, lets go dance." She grasped the other girls arm and they disappeared in the direction of the stair case. Jack walked away to the bar and Sarah was left alone with Jay.

"So, Sarah dear," the way Jay said her name, it sounded far too intimate, "have you known Jack long?"

"Not long, about a week, actually." Sarah replied and Jay raised an eyebrow.

"I see. Not long enough, then." He leaned back in his chair.

"What does that mean?" She asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Oh, don't worry, Sarah dear, you'll find out." He looked away from her and Sarah got the distinct impression that she had been dismissed. She felt the first trickle of irritation.

"Don't call me that," she snapped, "and what do you mean, I'll find out?"

"Don't call you what? Sarah dear?" He smirked at her. "What should I call you then, little girl?" He leaned forward and Sarah saw his eyes sparkle. "Peaches? Precious?" He laughed softly, and Sarah stopped breathing. Before she could reply, Jack reappeared and handed her another champagne glass. She took it, her hands shaking. She gulped it down and was surprised to feel the burn of alcohol at the back of her throat. She gave Jack a questioning look and he shrugged.

"I just told you not to try to order a drink." He had a beer and was drinking it slowly. Sarah swallowed the rest of her drink and her head felt fuzzy.

"Jack, lets go dance." She stood abruptly and avoided looking at Jay, she got the distinct impression that he was still laughing at her. Jack shrugged and stood with her.

"See you around, Sarah dear." Jay called after her and Sarah shot a glare over her shoulder, Jay caught her eye and smiled wickedly. She broke eye contact and hurried to the stairs, dragging Jack after her.


	10. Magic Dance

Sarah reached the dance floor with Jack behind her and whirled on him.

"Who is that guy?" She asked her hands were still shaking, though she wasn't sure if it was from anger or fear.

"Who, Jay? He's… I don't know, he's Jay. I've known him a long time. Why?" He crossed his arms and waited, watching her. Sarah bit her lip, she knew that she couldn't tell Jack why Jay unnerved her so much.

"He.. He just…" She hesitated and couldn't think of anything to say that didn't sound bitchy or crazy, "forget it. We should dance, it looks weird that we're just standing here." He paused a moment giving her a considering look, but then stepped into her and wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her tight against him. Sarah's eyes widened but she didn't fight him. Jack started to move against her and Sarah had little choice left, she lifted her arms to his shoulders and tangled her fingers in his hair.

The music was hard and fast and Sarah quickly lost herself in the movement and in the feel of Jack pressed against her. She didn't know how much time passed or how many songs they had danced to, but she didn't care. She felt like she could spend the rest of her life dancing with Jack. She closed her eyes and threw her head back reveling in the music, she could feet it thrumming through her body. Jack's hand went lower on her back and his fingers found their way to her ass as he ground his hips into hers. Sarah's head was still buzzing and she couldn't find the resolve to ask him to move his hand. It'd been a while since her last boyfriend, and even when she did have one, she never really let them touch her. She blamed Jack, with all of his peachy drinks, but wasn't mad at him, instead she giggled as he leaned in and his lips tickled her neck.

Sarah opened her eyes and was shocked to see Jay over Jack's shoulder. His eyes were narrowed and for a moment, Sarah thought he looked enraged as he watched them dance, but when she caught his eyes, the look dissolved and was replaced with amusement. Jay started in their direction and Sarah could feel her movements become less fluid with each step he took. He unnerved her. The music changed, slowing as he stopped beside them. Jay leaned into Jack and whispered something that Sarah didn't catch, but Jack pulled away from Sarah, he frowned and nodded at Jay.

"I'm going to go get us some drinks," he said to Sarah, yelling to be heard above the music, "why don't you dance with Jay until I get back." Sarah wanted to tell him no, but he didn't give her a chance as he turned and was lost in the crowd. She watched his retreating form longingly, trying to ignore Jay as he stood beside her.

"I won't bite," Jay murmured into her ear and Sarah jerked back, the movement only causing him to grin widely at her, and she knew he was laughing at her again, "come now, Sarah dear, dance with me." He held out a hand to her. She bit her lip and contemplated marching off the dance floor, but she didn't want him to think that he intimidated her, so she begrudgingly put her hand into his. He grasped it firmly and pulled her in against him. She gasped and had to place her hand on his chest to steady herself and he smirked down at her.

"I told you not to call me that," she grumbled at him, "you don't know me, so don't call me dear." The music was slow and she found that Jay was really a very good dancer, he kept tempo and moved with the music, rather than the awkward swaying that most boys did to a slower song.

"As you like, Sarah." He whispered into her ear, and even though he hadn't called her dear, she still didn't like the way he said her name. He said it like he knew her, like he owned her and it sent a chill up her spine. He started to sing softly into her ear and though she couldn't make out all the words, she was fairly sure she knew what he was singing. She pulled her head back to look into his eyes.

"What song is that?" She demanded and he quirked an eyebrow at her.

"Why? Do you know it?" He was laughing at her and Sarah was getting tired of it.

"I do, my question is, how do you know it?" She implored him, and Jay just smiled at her but didn't answer, instead he continued singing and Sarah watched him as he sang the words from a dream.

"Life can be easy, it's not always swell, don't tell me truth hurts little girl, cause it hurts like hell." He whirled her around and Sarah struggled to stay on her feet, "but down in the Underground, you'll find someone true, down in the Underground, a land serene, a crystal moon." Jay pulled her close again and leaned his face into hers, his lips were mere inches from hers and she inhaled softly, "it's only forever, not long at all…" He pulled back suddenly and Sarah found herself standing alone, as Jay turned and disappeared into the throng of dancers around her. She was breathing way too hard and could feel her heart beat in her throat.

"The lost and lonely, that's Underground." She finished the words in a whisper.

"Are you ok?" Sarah turned at the voice and Jack was looking at her with concern. She nodded and carefully took the drink he offered. She downed it quickly, and was grateful that it was non-alcoholic. Her head was buzzing enough already.

She and Jack danced some more, but Sarah found that her mind kept wandering back to Jay, she couldn't shake the feeling that he was toying with her. Somehow he knew about the Underground, the true Underground, and it didn't matter if was a dream or not, either way, he shouldn't have known that song.

** I wanted to take a minute to thank all of my followers and reviewers. Hopefully, I will answer any and all questions you have. :) (looking at you TheChronicLiar). I'm trying to update daily, but sometimes life gets in the way... also, I've had one or two people tell me that they are a bit confused, please let me know if anyone else is having a hard time, I didn't realize that there were so many 'J' names. lol I guess I just gravitated that way. If it's too confusing I can change a name or something. (Although Jay is not going anywhere.) Thanks again for reading. :) :) :) xoxo***


	11. Soon

Sarah and Jack pulled up in front of her apartment building and Jack killed the engine. They sat in an awkward silence. Sarah was still thinking about Jay and was angry at herself for doing so. She had convinced Jack that she was tired, and after tracking down Tonya and Trever, they had left the club a little before one. She glanced at Jack from the corner of her eye and he was watching her.

"Are you alright, Sarah? You seem a little, I don't know, upset."

"I'm fine really," she replied, "I'm just tired." She moved to get out of the car, but his hand on her arm stopped her. She turned slightly and the look in his eyes made her breath catch.

"Sarah, I… there's something that I, I need to… to tell you." He was stammering, and that more than anything is what concerned Sarah. Jack was confident, she'd never heard him waiver, but just at that moment his phone chimed, and he sighed in frustration. He glanced at it and Sarah watched as the color drained from his face. "I have to go." He set the phone down and started the car.

"What did you want to tell me?" She asked, suddenly not ready to leave. He didn't even glance at her.

"Nothing. Forget it." He didn't say anything else and after a few moments, Sarah knew that he was done talking to her. She opened the car door, she hesitated, then leaned back into the car.

"You know, Jack. I had fun tonight, with you." She felt a little awkward, she had never been one to share her feelings, "I… I really like you, and I want you to know that you can tell me anything." He still didn't look at her and she could see him straining to keep his face blank.

"I… I really have to go. I had fun, too, though." He opened his mouth, as if to say more, then changed his mind and closed it. Sarah stood and closed the car door, she turned and started up the walk to her building.

"Sarah! Sarah, wait." She turned and Jack was climbing out of his car. He sprinted across the lawn and as he reached her, he took her face gently in his hands. Before she knew it, Jack had captured her lips with his own and a thrill went through her. She wound her fingers into his hair and the intensity of the kiss increased. All to soon, though, Jack pulled away from her, he rested his forehead against hers and ran his fingers through her hair. "Just once." He said softly, and their breath mingled in the night air. "I had to do that at least once." He turned from her and started back to his car, and finally his words registered in Sarah's mind.

"Once?" She called after him, "why just once?" But Jack didn't answer her, he just climbed into his car and drove away. Sarah stood there a while longer, watching as his car disappeared around a corner. She was confused. Why had he said 'Just once.'? Was he never planning to kiss her again? She touched her lips gently, they still tingled slightly from his touch. She turned and went inside her apartment.

Tonya wasn't there, and Sarah recalled that she had mentioned that she would be staying with Trever that night. Just as well, Sarah didn't feel like rehashing the nights events. She went into the bathroom and washed her face, she stripped off the two dresses and replaced them with a simple tank top and flannel shorts.

She checked her phone before climbing into bed and saw that she had a text message from a number she didn't recognize.

_Soon._

Her heart all but stopped. Soon? What was this, some kind of joke? A wrong number? She deleted the text from her phone and set it down on the night stand. Climbing into bed she tried to ignore the sense of foreboding as it threatened to overwhelm her. She closed her eyes, but just as she began to drift off to sleep, an image flashed in her mind. A crystal ball, lying on her bedroom carpet, exploding in a spray of glitter, as a single word slipped from within.

Sarah sat upright in bed. This was getting ridiculous. There were far too many coincidences, she could no longer believe that was all they were. Someone was messing with her. Someone knew about her dreams, her fantasies, but who? She had told her parents, then of course, there was Toby, her psychologist and her school councilor, but was there anyone else? She chewed on her lip and tried to remember who else she could have told, and why they would go to all the trouble of orchestrating this whole thing. Were they trying to drive her crazy?

Sarah's phone vibrated next to the bed and she reached for it, as she did a shimmer caught her eye. She whipped her head up and didn't see anything else, just her own reflection staring at her from the mirror. She grabbed her phone and glanced at the screen. Another text from an unknown number, she didn't know if it was the same number, though. She slid her finger across the screen and the text was revealed.

_Good night, Sarah dear. _


	12. Figure Drawing

The next morning, Sarah's classes went by pretty uneventfully. By the time she made it to her 1:00 Figure Drawing class, she was already in the swing of things. She entered the class and took a seat at an easel near the back. She was timid and preferred to watch events, rather than take part. She was early, and watched as the seats slowly began to fill up. She was rifling through her bag for her art pencils and wasn't paying attention to the easel next to hers, but when she looked up, a pair of crisp blue eyes were staring at her. Jay's perfectly shaped mouth was turned up in the corners and Sarah immediately wished for a dark hole to swallow her up. She had always loved figure drawing and now she felt that, what would have been her favorite class, was now going to be tainted by Jay.

"Hello, Sarah," he paused, with a smirk, "dear." Sarah rolled her eyes, but said nothing. "So… do you fancy yourself an artist?" He asked her, as he leaned casually back in his chair. She gave him a sharp nod, but still said nothing as she studiously set up her easel. He chuckled softly and she felt her face flush. She was half tempted to move to the other side of the room, but didn't want to give him the satisfaction of chasing her away. "You know, Sarah, if you enjoy figure drawing, I would be happy to offer myself as a model in a… private session." Her eyes snapped up to meet his, and his sparkled at the insinuation. She opened her mouth to tell him exactly what he could do with his private session, but was interrupted as the professor called for attention.

"Good afternoon, I am Ms. Claire, but you may call me Ellen, if you wish." She began as she cast her eyes around the room. "You all know why you're here and so we will not waste time with pointless introductions. If you have not brought supplies, I will supply them for today only, but next time, be sure to bring a 17 x 20 sketch pad and a full range of HB pencils." She pointed to the back of the room, " There are some in the back, please take 2 minutes to set up."

About half of the class made their way to the back of the room, but Sarah, was prepared, as per usual. Jay, on the other hand, was one of the 10 or so students who had to borrow from the teacher. Once every one had settled back in their seats, the teacher continued.

"Now, normally, we would have a model, here, but I was unable to procure one for the day, as a result, I ask for a male volunteer to go first, then a female for the second half of the day. Don't worry, we will not do any nude modeling, no need to make anyone too uncomfortable on their first day." She let her gaze wander the room and waited, expectantly. From the corner of her eye, Sarah watched as Jay raised his arm to volunteer. "Wonderful!", Ms. Claire exclaimed and she gestured for Jay to climb upon a wooden structure centered in the room, "now please, find a position that is comfortable, as you need to hold it for an hour."

Sarah prayed that he would turn his body away from her, but knew that it was a feeble wish, Jay of course, locked his gaze upon her and settled onto the wooden monstrosity, he leaned to the left and swung his leg up onto a lower section, while he rested his chin in his left hand, he cast his right hand down across his hip.

"Comfortable?" Ms. Claire inquired, and Jay gave a minute nod, "Great! Let's begin." And so, Sarah did.

With a few strokes of her pencil, Sarah could already see the shapes taking form. Figure drawing was her favorite for a reason, she was good at it. After a few more strokes to get the proportions laid out and she began to fine tune the details. Following her usual course, she filled in lines here and there, along his out stretched legs, and down his slim torso. As she studied the curves and angles of his body, she realized that though, Jay was slim, he was well built, she could see the expanse of his chest beneath a simple black tee, and from the angle he was sitting, she knew that there was nothing but lean muscle along his stomach. She tried to avoid his face as she drew, trying to ignore him, but she knew that his eyes were boring into her face.

After about 40 minutes, she knew that she could no longer ignore his face and looked him in the eye. The next ten minutes were a peek a boo session, as she continually cast her eyes from his face to her paper, refining a jaw line here, and filling in his impossibly perfect lips. His cheek bones were sharp, and she took careful attention to be sure that they were just right. Last, she set to work on the eyes, trying to capture whatever it was that gave them such a crisp quality.

"And that's time!" The teacher called, just as Sarah finished filling in the thick lashes that framed his eyes. She watched as Jay stood and stretched, he reached for the ceiling and as he did a thin line of pale stomach caught Sarah's eye, she flushed and cast her eyes away from him. As she gave her drawing a real final look, she felt as though her heart had leapt into her throat. The drawing was good, one of her best, but she narrowed her eyes in horror as she stared at it. It was perfect, but it was not Jay. She gaped at the drawing in horror. She knew those eyes, that straight nose and sharp angular face. No, it was not Jay staring back at her with a slight smirk on his lips. It was the Goblin King.

She leapt out of her chair and slammed her drawing pad closed. Class wasn't over, but Sarah felt like she couldn't breathe. She had to get out of there. She grabbed her bag and made a beeline for the door. She heard the teacher call after her, but didn't slow down. She sprinted down the hallway and emerged into the sun. Her car was parked on the other side of campus, but Sarah forced herself to walk. She didn't want to draw unwanted attention.

She wound her way across the curving side walks, carelessly dodging students. Her mind was reeling and she was paying little attention to her surroundings. As she rounded a corner, she ran into someone, mumbling an apology, she tried to move around them, but was pulled back by a hand on her arm.

She looked up into their face and felt recognition dawn on her. Jack. She felt the tension drain from her and tears filled her eyes.

"Sarah? Are you okay?" His eyes narrowed in concern and Sarah was sure that she looked disheveled. She bit her lip and shook her head. "Can I help?" She wanted desperately to tell him what was going on, but knew that even if he believed her, there was nothing he could do to help. Of course, he wouldn't believe her, though.

"I'll be fine." She replied and gingerly pulled her arm from his grip. "I just need to go. I need to clear my head." She turned and began walking away.

"Sarah!" Jack called after her. But she didn't pause and didn't look back. There was really nothing he could do.

Jack stood staring after Sarah. He felt desperate to chase her, to hold her face in his hands and tell her that she wasn't going crazy, that she was victim to an elaborate trick. When he'd been contracted for this 'job', he hadn't anticipated the girl to be so… innocent. He envisioned a vixen, a woman with ice in her heart, but Sarah was anything but, and she had taken him by surprise.

The air shifted, and Jack stiffened, he knew before he turned around, that Jay would be standing behind him. Sure, enough, there he was, but he had shed the glamour of a young boy and instead, Jareth, the Goblin King, himself, was standing before him.

"Having second thoughts?" He asked Jack, a sharp look in his eyes. Jack lowered his eyes immediately.

"No, My Lord." He said nothing more, there was nothing more to say. Jareth regarded him thoughtfully for a few more seconds, then with a flick of his wrist, he was gone. Jack brushed glitter from his sleeve and clenched his jaw in frustration. How was he going to get out of this?

***Wow, I can't believe it's almost been a month. I apologize for the lapse in chapters. July proved to be a busy month for me, but I am back now! :) Thanks, again to my followers and readers! ***


	13. In Dreams

Sarah got to her room and threw herself onto her bed. Finally, in the safety of her apartment, she let the tears flow. She just didn't understand what was happening to her. She was emotionally exhausted and soon fell asleep.

She dreamt as she usually did, but somehow, this dream felt different. She cast her eyes around, but found herself in an unfamiliar bedroom, at the foot of a giant canopy bed which was the focal point of the room and was overflowing with lush silver, black, and white bedding, pillows, and curtains, that glimmered in the soft light. At her back, she felt the heat of a fire and turned slowly to see a grand fireplace. It was made of dark granite and shining crystal, and the fire bounced off both rocks, in a dazzling dance of light and shadow. To the left of the bed was a single wooden door, carved with intricate designs, but from her place at the foot of the bed, she could not make out what the designs were. To the right, was a pair of double glass doors that were thrown open, black chiffon curtains were blowing from a light breeze and she stepped hesitantly toward the doors.

As she drew near, she realized that doors opened upon a balcony, it's railing was only slightly higher than her waist, and as she stepped outside, she was overcome with a sense of familiarity and apprehension. Far below her was a small courtyard and village, surrounded by a high wall made entirely out of stone. There were no lights on in the village and it made Sarah wonder what time it was. She cast her eyes beyond the wall and felt her chest tighten. Instantly, she recognized the vast Labyrinth and it stretched for what seemed like miles, in front of her.

"Breathtaking, isn't it, Love?" The voice came out of the darkness and Sarah whirled around. Seated in the shadows was a figure, he lounged casually on the railing. The moon drifted from behind a cloud and she realized with a start that it was Him. The one person who had haunted her dreams and fantasies, for three years. She came face to face with his impossible perfection of the Goblin King and found herself both afraid and instantly intrigued.

He cocked an eyebrow at her and Sarah felt as though she had swallowed her tongue. Without meaning to, she found that she had backed up into the railing and was now trapped in his gaze.

"Sarah?" He prompted, expectantly, and Sarah swallowed past the lump in her throat.

"G-Goblin King?" She finally managed to squeak out, and instantly hated herself for her lack of courage. He smirked at her and waved his hand dismissively.

"Call me, Jareth." He said as he hopped lightly from the railing, "Goblin King, is so formal." He took two careful steps toward her and Sarah felt her pulse rise. He paused with a foot between them and stared at her thoughtfully, before he continued. "So what can I do for you, Precious?"

Sarah narrowed her eyes in confusion, "what can you… What do you mean, 'What can I do for you?'" She needed to get herself together. She was thoroughly embarrassed by the effect his nearness was having on her.

"You called for me, Sarah." Jareth stated, matter-of-factly, "so, what can I do for you?" Sarah felt taken aback.

"I didn't call for you." She whispered, as Jareth leaned into her. He raised a gloved hand and pinched a strand of her dark hair between his fingers.

"Oh, you didn't?" He mused and pulled a crystal from the air. In it, she saw herself, lying on her bed, asleep, and felt a pang of anger as she heard herself cry out his name in her sleep.

"Well that doesn't count!" She insisted as she slapped his hand away from her hair. "I was asleep." The crystal vanished in a spray of glitter and Sarah held her breath to keep from inhaling it.

"Asleep, or awake, it doesn't matter." He persisted as he leaned even further into her. Sarah found herself trapped between his arms as he rested them on the balcony railing on either side of her waist. She put her hands between their bodies, in an attempt to keep some space for herself.

"I didn't mean to." She averted his eyes and found herself staring at the pendant that he always wore around his neck. Her fingers itched to touch it., but instead, she balled her hands into fists.

"Hmm…" He mused gently. "You will mean it soon enough." He whispered softly, and with that he vanished.

"That wasn't fair." Sarah said grudgingly to the empty balcony and she wrapped her arms around herself, suddenly cold from the King's sudden departure.


	14. Closing Shift

The rest of the week passed uneventfully, even though she had woken after the dream to find glitter in her hair, she had decided she was not going to sink into the chaos she could feel threatening her mind. And, just as she had decided two years ago, she pushed all thoughts of the labyrinth and it's king to the back of her mind, and locked them up tight. By the time she started her afternoon shift on Friday, she felt almost back to normal. She liked her classes and with the small exception of Jay's presence in her life drawing class, which she could ignore for the most part, she felt confident about the semester ahead.

Her shift that night started at three and went til nine. She wasn't sure, but hoped that she worked with Jack today. She hadn't seen him since she'd had her break down on Monday and felt like she needed to apologize. As she entered the Bean, Sway gave her an exasperated look and Sarah felt taken aback.

"Will you do something about Jack, please?" Sway demanded as she handed a customer a coffee, "He's moody and has been ever since you guys had your little date." She turned her back on Sarah and pulled her apron over her head. Sarah's eyes widened and she glanced at Mel, who just shrugged as she took a customers order. Sarah shook her head and headed to the back room to put her bag away and put on her own apron. She hung her bag on the rack provided and checked her hair in the small mirror next to the managers desk, where Jack just happened to be sitting.

Sarah could feel his eyes on her and gave him a questioning look from the corner of her eye.

"Hi, Sarah." He said, with a slight frown on his lips.

"Hi." She replied turning from the mirror when she was satisfied her hair was not going to escape the messy bun she had thrown it in before leaving her apartment. She turned towards him, "I wanted to apologize…" She started, but Jack stopped her by standing up abruptly and stepping in close to her. She gasped softly and wanted to take a step back, but found that there was nowhere for her to go.

"There's no need to apologize, Sarah." He reached out and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "In fact, I need to apologize to you." He shoved his hands in his pockets and looked down at the ground between them. "I didn't mean to… I mean, I shouldn't have kissed you last week. In fact, I don't think we should see each other anymore." He sat on the edge of desk behind him and she tilted her head in question, but before she could say anything, the door separating them from the rest of the shop opened and Sway made an irritated noise under her breath.

"Aren't you guys here to work? Flirt on your own time." She grabbed her bag hastily from the rack and exited the break room in a huff.

"We weren't flirting…" Sarah muttered, even though Sway had already left. She met Jack's gaze and thought she saw a flash of regret as he stood and shoved his apron over his head before heading out to start working. Her chest tightened and she felt the sting of his denial. She felt fairly confident that whatever they had, was over, before it had even really begun. "Well this isn't going to be awkward at all." She sighed as she headed out to join Jack and Melody.

The first three hours of their shift together passed quickly as college kids were finishing their afternoon classes and filing into the Bean for a caffeine fix before starting their fun Friday nights. Jack spent the time ignoring Sarah and so she found herself getting to know Melody, who as she had already discovered, enjoyed small talk and thrived on gossip. She touched briefly on her classes and mentioned shyly, that word about Sarah's first figure drawing class had circled around, however the talk was mostly about Jay and his modeling abilities.

"He's new this year, but he's already got half the girls on campus swooning." Melody gushed as she wiped down the espresso machine for perhaps the fiftieth time this hour. Sarah shrugged.

"It's a small campus." She said softly as she added whip to the top of an iced cappuccino, before putting the lid on it and handing it off to a girl who looked like she had spent the summer on the sun.

"That's true," Melody agreed, "well, it's six o'clock, looks like I'm off." She threw the rag she was using into the sink and turned heading into the back room to get her stuff. Sarah felt Jack's eyes on her, but decided to ignore him as best she could. He'd barely said two words to her since their encounter in the backroom, and Sarah knew that she had done nothing to warrant his words. "See you tomorrow!" Melody called as she left through the back door of the shop, leaving Sarah and Jack to finish the last three hours alone.

The rush had died quickly and Sarah found that she and Jack were spending an impressively large amount of time pretending that the other was not there. Seven rolled around and slowly after that came eight. She had scrubbed every available surface she could find and could feel the aggravation towards Jack growing.

Jack could see that Sarah was hurt and confused. He had no way of explaining the situation to her. He'd made vows and knew that to break them was to flirt with a fate worse than death. He felt that the only way he could complete his contract was to distance himself from Sarah. He had told Jareth that he would complete his task, and he would, but he would not allow himself to be tempted by that which he could not have. Sarah was so far beyond his reach, there was nothing he could do for her. Jareth had laid claim years ago, all of the Realm knew that.

Still he felt the regret in his chest as their shift came to an end. He desperately wanted to reach out to her and apologize, but instead he stood and watched as she closed the register and locked the front door. She moved with such determination and he felt the sting as she grabbed her bag and flew out the back door without so much as a backward glance.


	15. A Date

Sarah began the short walk back to her apartment after her shift. She felt silly, getting all worked up over a guy she barely knew. If Jack didn't want to pursue a relationship with her, there was nothing she could do about it and she decided she didn't care. He was cute, sure, and sweet, and funny, but he was not the only boy with those qualities.

"Sarah." She looked up, startled at the sound of her name. It was dark, but she could make out a figure leaning against the wall of her building. As she got closer, he raised his face and she saw that it was Jay. She sighed and stopped several feet from where he stood.

"Jay." She said without emotion. She didn't feel up to his taunts but didn't want to get near him so she stayed , rooted to the spot as he raised his eyebrow at her.

"Should you really be walking alone in the dark, Sarah, dear?" He asked as he pushed himself from the wall and stepped closer to her. She sighed but didn't step away.

"I live here," She began, gesturing to the building behind him. "I'm sure it's perfectly safe for me to be outside my own building." She felt exhausted, first from Jack's cold shoulder and now from Jay and his refusal to leave her alone.

"You would think so, wouldn't you, Precious?" Jay said with a smile on his lips. He reached forward and pinched a piece of her hair between her fingers and she felt her insides go cold. She pushed the familiarity of the movement to the back of her mind and knocked his hand from her hair.

"Don't call me that," she snarled through clenched teeth, "I'm not your 'precious' or 'dear', in fact I'm not your anything." She moved to step around him but he blocked her path, chuckling.

"Sarah, Sarah, Sarah," he was still chuckling as he gave her a measured look, "it's a term of endearment, nothing more." She moved to step around him again, but he again, moved to block her.

"Yes," she agreed, "and terms of endearment are reserved for people who are familiar with each other, you and I, we barely know each other." She stepped again and he blocked her. Sarah threw her hands up in exasperation. "What do you want, Jay?"

"Isn't it obvious?" He inquired and she gave him a blank look. He sighed before continuing, "You intrigue me, Sarah." He stated simply.

"I intrigue you?" She questioned in disbelief, "I'm not intriguing. I am normal, ordinary, boring, in fact." Again, Jay raised his eyebrow at her and she rolled his eyes. "Jay, what is it going to take for you to just let me go home?" His answering smile reminded Sarah of the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland.

"A date." He replied simply. "Let me take you out." Sarah gave him a suspicious look but he just stood there, waiting. Five seconds past, then ten, and it became clear that Sarah was going to have to answer him.

"A date? Why?" She inquired.

"As I said, you intrigue me." He answered simply. Again, he waited and Sarah sighed.

"Fine." She relented. "One date, then will you please, leave me alone." He smiled in answer and stepped aside, sweeping his arm and bowing slightly, letting her walk past him. She paused and turned back towards him, holding out her hand. "Give me your phone." Jay didn't question her, just handed it over. She entered her number into his contacts quickly and gave it back to him. He watched her with a small smile on his lips. "If you're serious, call me tomorrow. You have a short window of time, if you don't call me tomorrow so we can get this over with, consider the deal void." With that she turned on her heel and walked away from him.

He watched her retreat for a moment, then called after her with just one word.

"Soon."


	16. Revelation

Sarah worked at six the next morning, but she found that she was both relieved and disappointed to discover that Jack had the closing shift again. Instead she worked with Sway and even though they said very little to each other, Sarah realized that she didn't mind. She rather enjoyed the silence as it gave her time to think.

First, she found that her mind kept circling back to Jack. She still didn't understand why he'd kissed her last week. He'd said that he shouldn't have, but that he had wanted to at least once. That was confusing in and of itself. Why just the once? Clearly, he knew that night that he wasn't going to continue to date her. Why lead her on that night at the club if he knew that it was going nowhere? It really seemed like he was interested. He'd gone out of his way to be nice and it all circled back to that damn kiss. Why had he kissed her?

Second, of course, there was Jay. He unnerved her like no other. Well, that wasn't true, there was one other who put her on edge the way he did. But, of course, He wasn't real, just a figment of her 15 year old, imagination. Still, the similarities between Jay and the Goblin King were extraordinary. They weren't identical, it was true, but still they had the same pale hair and skin, sharp features, the endearing accent and the affluent way they each spoke, overwhelmingly confident, arrogant, even. Jay even had the same habit of referring to her with pet names, 'Dear', 'Precious'. It really was unnerving.

And then there was everything else. Though, she had done her best to push away all thoughts of the Labyrinth and the insane things that had been happening around her, she now let herself explore the possibilities. There were so many signs, the book she had 'dropped' that first day at orientation, that damn song at the party she'd gone to, followed by that crazy hide and seek game with Jay, before she knew him as Jay, though. The Underground. Even the stupid club that Jack had taken her to was named to taunt her. It also seemed like every drink she'd had since arriving at college was peach, peach schnapps, peach champagne… Jay, again, singing that song that haunted her dreams, one of many. Her art class with Jay…

Sarah nearly dropped her the coffee she'd been making. Jack… Jay… She felt the dots connecting. Jack had given her the book, the peach drinks, taken her to the Underground, introduced her the Jay. They were friends. Jay was much more subtle with his taunting, but it still came back to the pair of them. She didn't know why she hadn't seen it before. They knew, somehow they knew of her past.

"Sway? I'm going to take a break." Without waiting for a reply she went to the back room and pulled out her phone. There was a text waiting from an unknown number.

''Tonight 9:00. Meet me at the Underground. -J'

Sarah bit her lip, trying to decide what to do. Everything came down to Jack and Jay, but she couldn't figure out how they could know about her past and the Labyrinth. It really seemed like too much to be coincidence. What would Jay do if she didn't show up tonight? Knowing him, he would come to her apartment and demand she go out with him. She took a deep breath and sent a short reply.

'Fine.'

Next, she sent a text to Jack.

'We need to talk.'

"Sarah! Get back out here. I need your help." Sway called from the main part of the shop, and Sarah sighed, slipping her phone back into her bag. She made her way out to the counter to help with the Saturday 10 o'clock morning rush. It was a college campus and a Saturday, of course the rush would be late morning.

The rest of her shift flew by and at noon, Sarah made herself a Macchiato and grabbed her bag. As she walked the short distance to her apartment she pulled out her phone. Nothing. Jack hadn't replied, and she didn't know any other way to get a hold of him. When she reached her door she was surprised to see a package waiting. She leaned down and picked it up, carrying it inside her apartment before reading the tag attached.

'For our date tonight. -J'

Sarah pulled the lid of the box and pulled out layer after layer of tissue paper, finally she found a white, silk dress nestled near the bottom of the box. She felt her heart flutter as she pulled it out and smiled in spite of herself. It was sleeveless and had an empire waist, the skirt was a gathering of tulle, layered strategically over a silk form fitting skirt that looked as though it would hit her mid-thigh. It was gorgeous and she knew that it was expensive, probably from some European designer.

"What's that?" Sarah jumped and whirled around.

"Tonya! You scared the crap out of me!" She exclaimed and quickly tried to shove the dress back into it's box.

"Sorry," Tonya apologized as she crossed the room, "so did you get a new dress?"

"No," Sarah replied shortly, as she slammed the lid back on the box, "I think it's a mistake." She made a grab for the tag, but Tonya beat her to it.

"J? Who's J?" Tonya asked as she examined the card. "Oh it's from Jack isn't it? You guys going out again?"

"No. It's not from Jack." Sarah snapped as she snatched the card from Tonya. "We aren't seeing each other anymore."

"What? Why not?" Tonya didn't try to hide her surprise. "But you said he kissed you and you seemed like you liked him."

"I do… I mean, I did like him," Sarah said as she started towards her room with Tonya on her heels, "but he's made it clear that he is no longer interested."

"Oh, Sarah, I'm sorry. He seemed so sweet." Tonya said softly as she sat on Sarah's bed. Sarah shrugged in response and placed the box on her dresser. "So, who is J, then?"

Sarah didn't reply right away, instead she walked into her bathroom and splashed cool water on her face. She needed a shower, she smelt like coffee and industrial cleaner. She stared at her reflection for a minute, she looked pale and scared. It was not a good look for her. She shut off the light quickly and walked back to her room.

"Oh My God! Sarah, this dress is amazing." Tonya gushed as she held it up. Sarah groaned.

"Tonya, put it back. I told you it's a mistake." She began to pick up the tissue that Tonya had thrown carelessly across her bed.

"Sarah, this was not a mistake. This is a gift, and an expensive gift at that!" Tonya held it up to herself in from of the mirror. Sarah shook her head and picked up another piece of tissue, as she did, something heavy slipped from within and landed on her bed. She bent to retrieve it and took in a sharp breath. It was a silver chain with a small pendant. As she looked closer, it looked like a half moon, but turned with the points facing downward instead of to the side. She frowned as she ran her finger across the cool metal. Engraved in the pendant was a design that looked like an infinity symbol. The necklace seemed familiar, but she couldn't place it. She turned it over and nearly dropped it. The back of the pendant was fitted with about 20 small diamonds. She had a strong feeling that the diamonds were real, and the necklace was worth a small fortune.

"Holy shit, Sarah!" Tonya exclaimed from over her shoulder. "Seriously, who is this stuff from?" Sarah didn't reply, but she gently set the necklace back onto the bed. "Well, whoever it is, I think you're in over your head. You should return it, or this 'J' could get the wrong idea. I mean, these are the types of things that are given to millionaires and royalty."

"You're right." Sarah agreed as she went to take the dress from Tonya. She caressed the fabric lovingly before placing it back in the box. She put the necklace in on top of the dress and replaced the lid. She would meet Jay at the club and give him back the box and tell him to forget the date.


	17. Untrustworthy

That night Sarah pulled into the parking lot of the Underground at 9:15. She exited her car and carried the box with the dress and the necklace tucked inside, underneath her arm. As she rounded the corner of the building, she saw that Jay's sister, Kai was leaning against the wall near the door, she looked up at Sarah and let out a burst of laughter.

"I told him you wouldn't wear it," Kai sneered at Sarah, "but you'll wish you had. Jay hates to be disappointed. Come on, unless you want to wait in line." She turned her back on Sarah and her heels clicked as she walked across the sidewalk and the bouncer opened the door, Kai looked at Sarah over her shoulder with a smirk, waiting. Sarah followed and was ushered inside behind Kai, who didn't wait for Sarah, but instead disappeared into the darkness.

Sarah stood there chewing her lip and debating whether or not to go inside. She could just leave the box inside the door, but the dress and necklace were so expensive that she was afraid they would be stolen. She knew that she had to face Jay sooner or later and it would be better to turn it down in person. She squared her shoulders and followed into the darkness

Sarah kept her hand on the wall on her right, feeling for the door that she knew was somewhere in the darkness. Finally, she reached it and pulled the handle, revealing the dimly lit stair well. She walked down the stairs til she reached the bottom and paused, her hand on the door handle. She took a moment to steel herself against the loud music and then pulled.

There was no band tonight, but a DJ who was currently playing 'I Won't Let You Go' by Snow Patrol. Sarah descended the giant staircase and cast her eyes about for either Kai or Jay. As she neared the stage, she couldn't see either of them and decided they must be on the balcony again. She walked hesitantly to the staircase and started to climb, when she reached the top, she saw that Jack, Jay, and Kai were seated at the same table as before, the man at the top glanced at her, and ushered her past without question. Jack looked surprised to see Sarah and moved as if to go to her, but before he could take a step Jay spoke.

"Hello, Precious, I see that Kai spoke the truth, you are not wearing my gifts." He was lounging comfortably in the booth, and even in the darkness, she could see his eyes sparkle. Jack froze in mid step and looked at Jay, confusion on his face.

"What gifts?" He asked, but Jay ignored him as he continued.

"What is it, Sarah? The wrong color? I believe that white would look magnificent on you, regal, in fact." Jay added.

Sarah hadn't moved and didn't intend to step any closer. Something about this situation was off, for one thing, she didn't know why Jack was there and it seemed, neither did he.

"I…" she began, hesitantly, "I just came to return this," she indicated the box she was holding, "and to tell you that I changed my mind. This 'date' isn't going to happen." She gently set the box on the table and turned to go.

"How disappointing." Jay muttered, though it carried across the table to her ears, Sarah didn't pause and she began her descent of the staircase. She made it to the bottom of the stairs before Jack caught up to her.

"Sarah, I think we need to talk." He seemed nervous and Sarah didn't know why.

"We do," she agreed, "but not tonight. I'm tired and just want to go home." She turned from him and began to move through the crowd again.

"But, Sarah…" Jack started, grabbing her arm. She stopped and fixed Jack with a hard look.

"No, Jack, you were the one who said we shouldn't see each other anymore and so you don't get to ask anything of me. When I'm ready, we will talk, but honestly, right now, I don't trust you and I need you to leave me alone." He looked stricken by the time she'd finished and Sarah almost felt bad. He released her arm and searched her face.

"What do you mean, you don't trust me?" He asked and she sighed.

"There's just some shit that's been happening to me and honestly, it's probably all coincidence, but a lot of it started the moment I met you, so for now, I'm kind of blaming you," she paused at the look on his face, "well, you and Jay. So please, give me some space and I'll text you tomorrow, ok?" She turned and walked away and this time, Jack didn't stop her.

He watched her go, and then headed back up to the balcony, needing to know what Jareth's plans were. He hadn't shared with him the fact that he'd given Sarah gifts, or that he'd apparently asked her on a date. It didn't seem to fit into his plans.

He approached Jareth, who still held his glamour of the twenty year old boy Jay.

"Jareth, may I ask, have your plans changed?" He inquired and Jareth sighed.

"No, Jack they have not. I was hoping that Sarah would accept the necklace and we could forego all of these dramatics, however she is just as stubborn and distrustful as ever." He fixed Jack with a suspicious look. "It looks as though things will progress as planned." Jareth stood and left the balcony through the hidden back door. Jack's shoulders slumped and he slipped into the booth that Jareth had just vacated.

"You know he doesn't trust you." Kai told him and Jack nodded in reply. "It's obvious that you have fallen for the mortal girl. Which surprises me, Jack, I believe Jareth contracted you because of your reputation." She smirked at him. "What is it they call you around court? Jack… Jack Frost. That's it. The Fey with ice in his heart. Is that ice melting Jacky?" He didn't reply, but instead took a drink from one of the many glasses that filled their table. Kai shook her head and stood. "Good luck, Jack, if you're thinking what I think you are, you're going to need it."

*I spent the morning making edits to previous chapters, the biggest of which was changing 'Jared' to 'Nate'. I agreed with a previous reviewer/reader that the names were a bit confusing. I wouldn't have bothered except 'Nate'/'Jared' is making a return to the story in the next few chapters. Much love, snow-fright*


	18. The Parking Lot

Sarah exited the club and hurried down the sidewalk, sidestepping people still waiting to enter the Underground. She kept her head down and walked quickly, rounding the corner of the building and moving between cars to where her jeep was parked. The lot was full and she had, had to park in the back corner. There was no streetlight above her jeep and she could hear her dad's voice cautioning her to always park near the light. As she drew near, she heard masculine laughter in the darkness and quickened her pace, she was only about three cars from her own when someone stepped into her path.

"Look who it is," a deep voice slurred and Sarah felt her pulse increase at the voice, "because of you, I had to start classes with a black eye." Sarah rose her eyes to the face of her accuser and was not surprised to find herself face to face with Nate. She stared into his eyes defiantly, though she could feel her hands shaking with nerves.

"It was your own fault," she countered, "you drugged me and were caught!" She tried to move around him and found another boy blocking her path. Nate seemed to consider her words.

"You know, you're right," he agreed and she looked at him, surprised, "we did get caught," he continued, "but this time we won't." Sarah let out a shriek as the other boy grabbed her arms and Nate moved into her.

He made a rough grab for her breast, but Sarah struggled and lashed out, kicking him in the shin. He grunted from the pain and smacked her across the face, hard. Sarah saw stars and felt her body go limp.

"Bitch!" Nate snarled at her and Sarah tried to shake off the dazed feeling in her head. Again, Nate made a grab for her breast, and this time he was able to get a hold of her camisole, tearing the thin fabric in the process, and exposing her bra. Sarah felt a renewed sense of defiance and began to struggle again, she stomped down on the foot of the boy holding her arms and he loosened his grip. She squirmed free and made a dash for her car, but only got a few feet, before she was tackled by Nate. As she went down, her head smacked the pavement and her arms and chest scraped across the asphalt. She cried out from the pain and Sarah lay there stunned from the impact.

Nate put a hand on the back of her head and pushed her face down into the asphalt, Sarah could feel rocks and grime cutting into her cheek. His other hand found the waistband of her jeans and he began to struggle, trying to pull them down her hips.

"No!" Sarah cried, still stunned, but beginning to recover. She thrust her hips back, trying to buck him off of her back, but he grabbed a handful of her hair and snarled in response, not losing his grip on her jeans.

"Nate, I think she's drawing too much attention." The other boy cautioned, giving Sarah enough incentive to cry out again. Maybe someone waiting in line for the club would hear if she shouted long enough. Nate yanked hard on her hair in response and Sarah let out a whimper.

"Shut up, Bitch, or I'll make you shut up!" He had pulled her jeans down, exposing half of her ass to the night air, she screamed louder, pleading silently that someone would hear her.

"Hey!" Sarah's heart leapt at the sound, though normally, she would dread that voice, right now it was like music to her ears. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Jay." Sarah whispered into the asphalt, relief surging through her. The hand in her hair tightened as Nate pulled her up to a standing position.

"Well if it isn't your own white knight," Nate sneered in Sarah's ear, "always coming to your rescue. This is none of your concern!" He shouted to Jay, who Sarah saw stood several feet away.

"Sarah is my concern," Jay responded, and she could see that he was shaking with barely contained rage, "let her go, and I might consider letting you leave with your lives." Nate's friend held up his hands in surrender, backing up slowly before taking off between two cars and disappearing into the night.

"Coward!" Nate shouted after him before returning his attention to Jay. "You got the jump on me last time, but not now," he snarled, "what's your interest in this bitch anyway? You can have her when I'm done, if you want, but she needs to learn a lesson." As he spoke, he slipped his free hand into her bra and Sarah whimpered, struggling to free herself from the grip in her hair. Jay's eyes flashed and with what seemed like near impossible speed, he reached them and had laid a solid punch on Nate before Sarah even realized that he had moved.

Nate howled in pain and finally let go of her hair, Sarah fell from the sudden release of pressure and hit the concrete hard, she crawled away towards her car and pulled her knees to her chest, watching as Jay attacked Nate with a ferocity that scared her. He seemed almost animalistic and as she stared, she thought she could see a glimmer around his body, but couldn't be sure. He's going to kill him, she suddenly realized and struggled to her feet, falling several times in the attempt.

"Jay," she murmured, her face seemingly swollen from being shoved into the ground, she cleared her throat and tried again, "Jay." But he was lost, delivering blow after blow to Nate, who it appeared had passed out. Sarah limped across the parking lot, "Jay!" she shouted, hoping to get his attention, "Jay, please stop." She put her hand on his arm and his eyes flashed as he looked at her. She could see the realization set in as he stared at her, his eyes boring into hers. "Jay." She whispered and suddenly felt light headed, the world started to spin and as she began to fall, Jay's arms were suddenly there, he swung her legs up into his arms and carried her to her jeep. Her placed her gently into the passenger seat, securing her seat belt before walking around to climb into the drivers seat.

He said nothing, and she shakily handed the keys over so he could start the jeep, his features set in a hard look as he shifted into gear and pulled out of the parking lot.

"Jay," Sarah murmured into the silence, "thank you." He didn't respond, but his features softened a little as he drove through the darkness to her apartment building.


	19. Jareth

"Sarah."

…

Sarah was pulled from unconciousness by a soft voice whispering her name. She started to open her eyes and winced, she raised her hand to her face, felt the rough skin and remembered.

"Sarah, we're here." She opened her eyes slightly and saw a crisp, bright pair of blue eyes watching her with concern. Sitting up, she realized that she was sore, pretty much everywhere, and was still sitting in her jeep. Jay had gotten out and opened the passenger side door and was patiently waiting for her to wake.

"I think I fell asleep." She murmured and Jay smiled. Sarah started to get out of the jeep and winced. Her right side felt like one giant ache. Jay reached out and grasped her arm, firmly, but gently, and helped her climb out.

"Let me walk you up," He said at her side and Sarah started to protest, but he interrupted, "Sarah, you're hurt, both physically, and probably emotionally, let me get you inside and settled." She gave him a suspicious look and he sighed. "Look, I could have easily walked away and left you to your fate, but whether or not you believe it, I would never let anything or anyone hurt you, and that includes myself." She gave him a blank look and he returned it with an exasperated one of his own. "Sarah, I care about you."

"Why?" She inquired, "You don't even know me and we seem to be constantly at each other." He didn't answer right away, only grabbed her arm again and started to gently lead her up to walk to the apartment building. As they began walking, Sarah realized just how hurt she was and was grateful that Jay had offered to escort her inside. He didn't ask questions, and Sarah recognized that he already knew which apartment was hers.

When they reached her door, he unlocked it and pushed it aside, inside was dark, but he maneuvered her through the entry and to the couch with surprising confidence. Once she was seated he turned on the light and went to the bathroom to wet some wash clothes to clean her up.

"Do you have a bandages?" He asked as he walked back into the room and she nodded.

"Under the bathroom sink." She mumbled in reply, leaning back in the couch and shutting her eyes. He returned again a few minutes later and started to gently remove the remaining pieces of gravel and rock from her face and shoulder. Sarah noticed with gratitude, that he kept his eyes averted from her ripped top and his hands moved efficiently and professionally. As he worked, she studied his face.

"Jay," she started, "I…," she paused and he met her eyes, when he did, she was surprised to see that the left eye had darkened, and for a moment, it looked brown. She gasped and jerked out of his grasp. He blinked, and the eyes were both blue once more.

"Sarah?" He inquired and she took a deep breath.

"I… um, nothing," she stammered, "just, just thank you, for… for saving me." She finished, lamely, and he narrowed his eyes at her.

"As I said, I would never let anyone, truly, hurt you," He stated simply, as he reached for her again, this time, softly pressing a cloth into her cheek to wipe away the dried blood that had smeared her cheek, "and if, for some reason I could not prevent it, rest assured that whoever it was, will pay, they will always pay." He finished with an edge to his voice and Sarah stared at him.

"But, why?" She asked again, and he sighed, not lowering his hand when she pulled out of his grasp, "I am not nice to you, you drive me crazy." He smiled then and reached slowly across the couch, placing his hand softly against her cheek, running his thumb across her cheekbone. She knew that she should pull away, but something in his face held her frozen.

"How you've turned my world, you precious thing." He whispered and Sarah's eyes widened.

"What?" She questioned, even though she felt positive she knew what he'd said. She stood up abruptly and Jay let his hand fall to his side. "How do you know that song?" She demanded, backing away from him. No one knew that song, no one could. When she'd been in that room with the Goblin King, and he'd sang it, they had been alone, and she had told no one specifics. Not even her councelor's. No one knew of the words he sang to her, he spoke to her. The promises he had made. "How?" She shouted.

He sighed and stood as well, taking a careful step toward her. She backed up quickly, hitting the wall. He took another step and she inched herself along it's surface, away from him. As she did, so kept her eye on him, and again, it seemed as though there was a glimmering in the air around him.

"Who are you?" She demanded, again, "What the hell do you want?" She cast her eyes around the room, he stood before her and the only exit to the apartment, but she saw that she might be able to make it to her bedroom. If she could get inside and lock the door, call for help maybe.

"Sarah," he said calmly, "look at me." She shook her head and inched closer to her room. "Sarah." he repeated, and finally, she did. The glimmer in the air was getting stronger, and through it Sarah could see a change overcoming Jay. He grew taller, the angles of his face, sharper, his light, blonde hair grew longer and his clothes changed and morphed into a white billowy shirt, and a leather vest over gray pants with black riding boots. Sarah held back the scream that built in her throat.

"You!" She accused, her eyes flashing with malice, "What is this? How is this even possible? You don't even exist!" The Goblin King stood before her, and he raised one perfectly shaped brow at Sarah.

"Oh, I don't?" He chuckled, folding his arms over his chest.

"No," she whispered, "you don't." And here he was. "Perfect," she muttered to herself, "I really have lost it."

"Sarah," Jareth started towards her again and Sarah immediately took off in the direction of her bedroom, she sprinted inside and slammed the door, flipping the lock into place, she closed her eyes and leaned against it.

"Really, Sarah, is that any way to behave?" She whirled around to find, the Goblin King lounging casually on her bed.

"What do you want?" She demanded again, "Are you here to drive me insane? Why?" He said nothing in return, only watched her from his place on her bed. "Is this your plan? To subtly throw my dreams at me until I've gone crazy and have to be locked up somewhere?"

He chuckled again, "No, Sarah, it was not, but as always you lay waste to all of my well laid plans." She closed her eyes again and silently wished that when she opened them he would be gone. But, he was still there when she pried them open to look.

"What was the plan then?" She asked, sliding down the door to sit on the floor, feeling exhausted and defeated.

"Desperation," he replied simply, "I wanted to make you so desperate, feel so hopeless that you would once again call out for me."

"I have!" She argued, she'd called out for the goblins to take her away more times than she could count, and had, once called out for the King himself.

"Once," he agreed, "once you called for me, and maybe, you were desperate, but only to prove your own sanity." He stood in fluid motion and crossed the room to tower over her. "But I wanted you to desperately call for me, because you wanted me."

"Wanted you?" She buried her face in her hands. "Why?"

"Before when we met, I did everything you asked," he began, and she scoffed at him, his eyes flashed and in a moment he knelt before her and held her chin between his thumb and finger, forcing her to look at him, "I did everything for you, I reordered time, I turned the world upside down, and what did I ask for in return?"

"My brother!" She answered, defiance in her eyes. He released her chin and stood, turning away from her.

"Your eyes can be so cruel…" he muttered, and Sarah wasn't sure that's what he said, "Sarah," he began, turning back to her, "I offered you more than anyone before, and I asked for so little. Yes, I took your brother, after you asked me to, you wanted a chance to win him back and I gave it to you, and in the end, you won. You got your brother back, he was yours the moment you reached my castle." She stood up slowly and took a step towards him.

"Goblin King," she began and he cut her off.

"I told you to call me, Jareth."

"Jareth," she began again, the name feeling foreign on her tongue, "you did not give him back until we were in that damn room and I defeated you!" The look in his eyes softened and he stepped into her, leaving mere inches between them.

"No, Sarah, I was defeated long before that." He brought his face down to hers and their breath mingled between them. Sarah tensed and Jareth froze, his mouth less then a hairs breadth from hers. With a look of pain, he pulled away and Sarah felt a stirring of disappointment in her chest, his rejection left her feeling empty.

"Jareth?" She whispered, reaching a hand out to touch his shoulder. He didn't move under her touch only sighed.

"You are desperate for me, Sarah," he said with his back still to her, "you just don't know it, yet." With that, he vanished from before her, a shower of glitter the only sign that he had been there at all.

"You have no power over me…" she whispered into the empty air, but for the first time, she realized that it was a lie.


	20. The Next Morning

Sarah was grateful when she woke the next morning and it was Sunday, she didn't think she would have the courage to go to classes if it'd been Monday, specifically, not her figure drawing class. She couldn't face Jay, or Jareth, or whatever. She lay in bed staring at the ceiling. The events of the night before seemed like a dream, something her brain had created, but the evidence of the Goblin Kings visit was there, glistening in the carpet next to her bed, small flecks of glitter, that Sarah couldn't quite bring herself to vacuum up. She wanted the reminder that it had in fact been real.

She continued to lay there into the late morning, and finally, around noon, she heard Tonya calling out for her.

"Sarah, are you in there?" She called from the other side of the door, and Sarah buried her face into a pillow. Her mind was still reeling, as reality and dreams began a constant 'tug of war' in her mind. She could feel a headache forming and didn't want to get up. "Sarah, I know you're there, don't make me come in after you!" Tonya called again and Sarah groaned. She rolled to the edge of her bed and climbed to her feet, carefully avoiding stepping in the glittery, mess.

She opened the door and nearly collided with Tonya who was standing just outside her door. Tonya's eyes widened when she saw Sarah's face.

"Don't take this the wrong way," she began, "but, Sarah, you look like hell."

Sarah scowled, "Is there a right way to take that?" Tonya shrugged in response.

"Seriously, though what happened?" She asked, concern etched in her features. Sarah bit her lip, she knew that she should tell Tonya about Nate and the parking lot, but then she would have to talk about Jay and she was not ready to go there.

"It's nothing." Sarah muttered, as she pushed past Tonya, who followed on her heels.

"Like hell!" Tonya exclaimed, "that is not nothing, it looks like your face and shoulder collided with the concrete."

"Yeah…" Sarah agreed, but she didn't elaborate.

"Come on," Tonya continued, "I know you're clumsy, but Sarah, that wasn't just from a fall, what happened." The headache that had been threatening Sarah, came on full force then and she closed her eyes.

"I went to the Underground last night…" she began and Tonya nodded.

"Right, you were going to give back that dress and jewelry." At this, Sarah paused, she'd forgotten about the necklace, and now as she pictured it again, it matched perfectly to the one that Jareth wore. Of course, no wonder it had looked so familiar. "And…" Tonya prompted, pulling Sarah from her thoughts.

"Oh, well after I returned it to Jay, I ran into Nate in the parking lot and apparently he holds a grudge against me, blaming me for his getting his ass kicked the first time he tried to rape me, and he kinda slammed me against the road." She finished as she swallowed some aspirin she found in the cupboard next to the stove.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Ok, first, Jay? As in Jack's friend, Jay? The guy who you said torments you in art class?" Tonya asked in disbelief, and Sarah nodded. "He's the one who gave you that ridiculously expensive dress and necklace? Holy shit, Sarah." Again, Sarah just nodded. "Second, what do you mean the first time he tried to rape you…" she trailed off and Sarah watched as realization dawned, "he tried again last night? What happened, are you ok? Did he..?" She didn't finish and Sarah shook her head, pressing her palms into her eyes. "So, what happened?"

"Jay," Sarah murmured, with a sigh, "he stopped him and drove me home." She left it there and prayed that Tonya wouldn't press for more, thankful when she remained silent. She walked through the kitchen and collapsed onto the couch.

"So, Jay still came to your rescue even after you rejected him." Tonya asked finally and Sarah, who couldn't help it, burst out in a manic giggle, before laughing out loud. Tonya didn't know the half of it. Finally, Sarah's laughter trailed off and she looked up to see Tonya staring at her like she was crazy.

"I'm going to go shower, see if I can make myself look less like hamburger and more like myself again." She stood and walked back to her room, leaving Tonya staring after her in stunned silence.

Sarah made it to her bathroom, stripped and turned the water on as hot as she dared. She was careful of her injuries, but the warm water felt good on her bruised face and shoulder. She closed her eyes under the hot water and was assaulted by images of Jareth. He had looked so different last night from the last time she'd seen him. Before, in the Underground, he'd had a cold beauty, and had seemed so untouchable, unreachable. He had been hard but breathtaking, like a diamond. Last night there was a softness to his eyes that hadn't been before, almost a vulnerability in the way he had spoken to her. It had been innocence, Sarah was certain it had been a long time since the Goblin King could claim innocence, or maybe it was that he seemed fragile, as if he would break if she pressed too hard.

She thought briefly of how close he'd been to her, of how she had thought for a fleeting moment that maybe he would kiss her. The thought left her breathless and she felt her body grow hot. She bit her lip and trembled beneath the steady stream of water.

"Maybe I should have taken a cold shower." She muttered to herself and felt her face flush. When she'd been 16, she could admit that she'd had a small crush on the Goblin King, on Jareth, but she had convinced herself that he didn't exist and so that crush had shrank into nothingness. Now, though, the reality of it was that she had been right all along, that it hadn't been a dream… and she felt like she was falling apart because of it.

She turned off the water and stepped out into the steam filled room. She wiped her hand across the mirror to clear the glass and stared at her distorted reflection.

"It's not fair," She declared to herself, "I am not 16 anymore, how dare he come into my life and disrupt everything I've accomplished, all of my plans." She set her jaw, and raised her chin. "No," she decided, "I won't let him." She flipped her hair over her shoulder and wrapped a towel around her body, before exiting her bathroom, only to find Jareth, once again, lounging, casually across her bed.


	21. Trouble

Sarah froze in the doorway and gaped at the man laying on her bed. She was painfully aware of the fact that she was wearing nothing but a towel and her hair was a wet mess, clinging to her face and shoulders. He gave her a considering look, his eyes raking across her face, down her near naked body, to her feet and back up again. She felt herself grow warm under his gaze. He gave her a half smile and Sarah felt an unwilling pull towards him. She kept her feet firmly planted and narrowed her eyes.

"What are you doing here?" She demanded. Jareth shrugged, making it look graceful, rather than awkward, and Sarah scowled at him. "You can't just come and go as you please," she insisted, her hands clenched into fists at her side, "this is my bedroom, I don't think it falls under your rule." Still he said nothing and Sarah crossed her arms over chest, growing irritated. "Seriously, get out." Jareth raised an eyebrow at her and sighed. He stood in one fluid movement and crossed the room.

"Sarah, dear, I am not going anywhere." He said, brushing his gloved fingers across her bare shoulders, she shivered at the contact, and hated herself for it. Sarah pulled herself from his touch and pushed past him.

"Well, you have to, because I need to get dressed, and I'm not going to do it with you standing there staring at me." She reached into her closet and pulled out a camisole before crossing to the dresser to get some jeans, she paused before pulling open her underwear drawer. She glanced at Jareth over her shoulder and groaned when she saw that he had leaned against the wall and didn't appear to be going anywhere. She yanked open the drawer and grabbed a pair of panties and a bra without really looking at them, wadded them up in her cami and walked back into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her. She heard Jareth chuckle and she cursed him under her breath.

Sarah toweled off and unballed her panties from her shirt, she was mildly pleased to see that she'd grabbed red boy shorts, but grimaced when she realized that she'd grabbed the only black bra she owned. The camisole was white, of course, and her bra was going to be blaringly obvious through the thin fabric. Still, at least it would be better than no bra at all. She got dressed and ran a brush through her hair. She didn't want to leave Jareth alone in her room for long, so she decided to let it air dry. She gave her reflection a considering look before grabbing her makeup bag and applying some thin eyeliner and mascara, telling herself that she was not doing it for Jareth, but was doing it in case she decided to go out later. Satisfied, she stepped from her bathroom and her eyes widened when she saw that Tonya was talking to Jareth.

"…was really nice of you. I mean, more than nice. You're like a hero, or something." Sarah caught the end of Tonya's sentence and wanted to smack her. Jareth was smirking at Sarah and she knew that he would be reveling in the idea of being her 'hero'. "Sarah," Tonya started when she noticed her entrance, "you didn't tell me Jay stayed the night."

"I… um," Sarah began, stammering over her words, how did Tonya not see that this was Jareth and not Jay, "he, uh…"

"I slept on the floor," Jareth/Jay interceded, "you weren't home and I wanted to make sure that Sarah would be alright." Sarah's face flooded and she felt relief from not having to give explanation.

"Right," Tonya replied, with smile, "anyway, Sarah, I came in to tell you that the Bean called, they want to know if you can close tonight, I guess one of your co-workers is sick or whatever." Sarah sighed.

"I guess so, I'll call them back," she picked up her phone from the night stand and turned to Jareth, "first, though, I should see you out. I'm sure you have something better to do than hang around here all day." She stood there waiting for Jareth to stand up, he gave her a grin but stood up and started towards the door.

"Actually, I have nothing else to do," he said, but continued out the door and across the apartment to the front door, Sarah on his heels, "but I'll go. First, I wanted to give you something." He turned back to her and handed her a small box.

"What is it?" She asked, slipping the lid off the box, her eyes widened, inside was the necklace she'd returned to him the day before. "I already told you I can't accept this, especially now…" she trailed off, throwing a glance over her shoulder, Tonya was watching them from Sarah's doorway. She turned back to Jareth and started to hand the box back over to him.

Jareth did not take it and instead reached out to pinch a piece of her hair between his fingers. "It is yours Sarah," he leaned into her and whispered into her ear, "it has always been, and will always be yours." He leaned back from her and Sarah caught her breath. There was a look in his eyes that scared her. Yes, the necklace was expensive, any fool could see that, but she felt that he meant something more with those words. She cast her eyes to the pendant around his neck and then to it's match in the box she held between her trembling hands.

"Thank you." She said, and meant it. He nodded and opened the door behind him, turning to go. "Jar… I mean, Jay, will you, I mean can I…" She trailed off not sure what she was going to say and he smiled at her.

"Soon." He replied and disappeared around the corner.

Sarah stood there for a moment, she felt confused because she wanted to run after him. Instead, she stepped back into her apartment and shut the door. She turned to Tonya, who gave her a very serious look.

"Oh, Sarah, you are in trouble." Sarah nodded in agreement, she reached into the box and pulled the necklace out by it's silver chain.

"You have no idea." She murmured.


	22. Secrets and Coffee

Sarah opened the door to the Bean and walked inside, there was only one customer, a college student, from the looks of it. He sat in the corner booth, focused on a laptop in front of him, a pair of buds in his ears as he clacked away at the key board. Jack stood behind the counter and Sarah felt her stomach flip. She had been secretly hoping that she would see Jack tonight, while at the same time, she'd prayed she would work with someone else, anyone else.

Jack gave Sarah a small smile and she returned it with a small smile of her own, before slipping into the back room to deposit her bag and put on an apron. She wasn't sure how to proceed with Jack, she wondered idly if he knew that Jay was not really Jay, but then perhaps, Jareth had fooled him, too. She felt like she should give him the benefit of the doubt, but if he really did know, then he had some explaining to do. Casting a quick glance at her reflection in the mirror, she pulled her hair into a loose bun and joined Jack behind the counter.

"Slow night?" She asked and he nodded.

"We've had about 3 customers in the last hour," Jack offered, "I told Jess that I could handle the night by myself…" he trailed off and shrugged apologetically. Sarah didn't reply right away, instead she poured herself a glass of water and sipped on it slowly, watching Jack as he wiped down the espresso machine.

"How long have you known Jay?" Sarah blurted out, surprising herself by her own bluntness. Jack glanced at her but continued to wipe down the machine.

"I don't know, a few years, it seems like forever." He replied before rinsing the rag off in the sink.

"How do you know him? I mean, how did you two meet?" She asked watching him carefully.

"Well, his dad is a good friend of my aunt. So, family friends, I guess." He replied with a shrug and Sarah considered, he sounded truthful, but some people could lie like it was second nature. He glanced up at her, "Why do you ask?"

"Oh, he um… I was just curious," she replied biting her lip.

"So he asked you out, huh?" He asked softly, and Sarah nodded, "And you said yes?"

"Initially I said yes," She started, and Jack turned from her, "but it was only because he promised to leave me alone if I did." She finished quickly wishing she hadn't seen the flash of hurt in his eyes.

"You shouldn't go out with him," Jack murmured, his back still to her, "he's no good for you."

"And what is good for me, Jack?" Sarah asked, grabbing his shoulder and forcing him to look at her. She searched his eyes, but couldn't figure out what he was thinking.

"Sarah," he began, "Jay is… well, he doesn't have a great reputation. He gets kind of, obsessive, stalkerish even." Sarah didn't say anything, but she dropped her hand from his shoulder, "you just deserve someone less… cold." He said the last word with a sharp laugh and Sarah narrowed her eyes.

"Cold," she repeated, "as opposed to someone who is hot and cold, someone who claims to like me, kisses me even, and then suddenly decides he wants nothing to do with me." She spit the words out at him and Jack flinched at her words.

"Sarah, I," he paused and searched her eyes, "I just can't… I can't explain, but it just can't happen."

"Right," she replied, flippantly, "of course, it can't. It's totally normal to lead someone on like that." He sighed, but before he could reply, the bell over the door chimed and Sarah glanced over to see Jareth/Jay walk in with his sister, Kai. Sarah wondered briefly if she really was his sister, if it was all part of the act. From the corner of her eye, she saw Jack stiffen.

"Good evening, Precious." Jareth started as he approached the counter.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, suspiciously, and Jareth smiled in reply.

"Just came in for a quick cup of coffee," he replied, "Kai and I have a busy night ahead of us, and I thought we could use some refreshment."

"Alright," Sarah turned to Jack, "wanna take their order for me? I just remembered something I left in the back room." She spun around without waiting for a reply and slipped through the door marked employees only. She pressed her back against the door, leaving it cracked just a little, listening to the three talk without her.

"What are you playing at?" Jack demanded, Jareth replied, but it was too muffled for Sarah to make it out. "That wasn't part of the plan," Jack continued and Sarah felt her heart rate increase, "I can't fulfill our contract if I don't know the specifics of it."

"Careful, boy," Jareth spat, his voice rising slightly, "things have progressed in an unexpected manner and you are fully aware of it."

"Perhaps, gentlemen," interjected Kai, "this is a topic that should be discussed elsewhere, the door isn't exactly soundproof." Sarah heard Jack mumble something else, and she realized that she had been gone too long. She pushed the door open and stepped back behind the counter, where Jack had just finished filling two cups with coffee, black. Jareth and Kai took them and Sarah rested against the counter and Jareth leaned towards her.

"Sarah, I will be occupied for the night, but there is something that we need to discuss." He reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I'll call on you tomorrow." Sarah jerked away from him and he smiled, ruefully at her. "Good night, Precious." He turned and Kai and he left without another word. Sarah whirled on Jack.

"What contract?" She demanded and Jack flinched, "I thought Jay and you were friends, what kind of contract do you have?" Jack didn't reply right away and Sarah crossed her arms, waiting.

"It doesn't concern you," Jack shrugged.

"Jack," she started, but before she could say anything else, Jack stepped into her and wrapped an arm around her waist, he pulled her into him and slipped a hand behind her neck, pulling her face towards his, he kissed her and Sarah lost her train of thought. Jack's hand slid up her waist and he pressed his hand into the small of her back, pulling them closer together, the kiss began to turn and soon, it seemed almost desperate. Jack kissed her like she was his oxygen, as if she were the only thing keeping him alive, and Sarah felt it from the top of her head down into her toes. She slipped her fingers into his hair and held on, afraid she'd come apart if she didn't have something to grab onto. After what felt like forever, and still wasn't long enough, Jack pulled his lips from hers and they stood together, breathing heavily, and Sarah tried to reorganize her thoughts.

"I'm sorry," Jack muttered, running his thumb softly across her cheek, "I'm not supposed to, but Sarah, you make me feel…" he paused as if searching for the right words, "you just make me feel. It's been so long since I felt anything." He kissed her again, swallowing her reply.

"Jack," she murmured against his lips and he made a sound low in his throat, he pulled himself away and Sarah felt the absence as he took a step back from her.

"I…" he began, "I think we should talk, but after work." She nodded and he went to work cleaning the counters. Sarah watched him for a moment, opened her mouth to say something, then closed it, she turned and grabbed a rag, she began to clean the coffee stations and the silence stretched between them. The next two hours passed and after closing up, they walked down the street to Sarah's apartment, apprehension in the air around them.


	23. Honesty

Sarah put the key in the lock and turned it, Jack stood at her back, a quiet presence she couldn't ignore. She took a deep breath and pushed the door open. Jack followed her inside and she cast a quick glance around, looking to see if Tonya was home. They appeared to be alone, Tonya was probably at Trever's.

"Do you want a drink or something?" Sarah asked crossing into the kitchen, Jack shook his head 'no', and Sarah got only one glass down, she filled it with water from the tap and took a long swallow. She was nervous, afraid of what Jack had to say, but she knew that whatever it was she needed to know. "Well," she said, "what did you need to talk about?"

"Can we go sit?" He asked, pulling gently at a loose thread on his jacket. She nodded and led the way from the small kitchen and into the living room, she sat on one end of the couch, and curled her legs up beneath her. Jack sat on the other end, putting a very noticeable space between them. Sarah felt a pinch of disappointment at the distance, but pushed the hurt away. Jack turned his body towards her and took a deep breath.

"Sarah," he began, his voice soft in the quiet apartment, "Jay and I… we're not who you think we are." He watched her carefully as he said the words, she didn't flinch, didn't react and so Jack continued, "Jay is, well, you've met him before, but I don't know if you realize it. Maybe you thought it was just… I don't know…" Sarah reached forward and placed her hand on top of Jack's.

"I know who Jay is." She stated simply and Jack met her eyes briefly.

"No, Sarah, I don't think you do… Jay is, he's not even…" he stammered.

"Not human?" Sarah asked with a small giggle, "I know. He's… well, I don't know what he is, but I know who he is, he's Jareth, the Goblin King of the Underground." Jack's eyes widened and Sarah sighed. "He told me, last night." She fiddled with the glass in her hands and watched as the water swirled inside.

"Last night? Last night, after you left the club?" He asked and she nodded.

"There was a… confrontation in the parking lot with Nate, and Jay, Jareth, interceded, I was pretty shook up, so he drove me home…" She trailed off and bit her lip, Jack had his hands clenched into fists and the knuckles were turning white, "Jack?" She said, hesitantly.

"I'm fine. What happened after he brought you home?" He asked through clenched teeth.

"Well, he came in and basically he just said something that only Jareth had ever said to me before and I confronted him about it and suddenly, he wasn't Jay anymore, he was Jareth," she shrugged, "that's pretty much it."

"He just left?" He asked. Sarah hesitated, obviously, she wasn't going to tell Jack about her bedroom, or the next morning, so she just nodded.

"What about you?" She asked, "you said 'Jay and I', who are you, then?" Jack didn't answer right away, and while Sarah waited, she studied him. He was so gorgeous… His dark hair was unruly, but it suited him, she desperately wanted to run her fingers through it again, but she kept her hands firmly wrapped around the glass in them. Finally, Jack met her eyes and took a deep breath.

"My name really is Jack, but I'm not… I'm not a 22 year old, college student. Not really, I am Jack, Prince of the Northern Summits," he paused and studied her, she felt the blood leave her face, and gasped.

"Prince? You're a freaking prince?" She stood and took a step away from him.

"Sarah, sit down, please, there is more that I must tell you." He reached out a hand towards her and Sarah stared at it, until he dropped it. But she fell back to the couch, somewhat ungracefully.

"Jareth, he contacted me, hired me, for… well for a job," he avoided her gaze, "that's why we're here, why we have assumed these human identities." As Jack finished speaking, the same rippling effect that had overcome Jareth, began around his features. It passed quickly and Sarah was astonished, though Jack looked more or less the same, his dark hair had bleached of color and stood white as snow, glistening in the dim apartment, and his eyes were now silver, true silver, like liquid metal. She gasped, he was still gorgeous of course, but now he looked otherworldly, cold. Even his skin seemed now to shimmer with a quality like fresh snow.

"Wow." Sarah whispered, and before she realized it, she had reached out to touch a strand of shimmering hair. His pupils contracted and she caught her breath.

"Sarah," he murmured, his voice low and intimate, and Sarah found herself drowning in the silver pool of his eyes. She leaned forward and placed her lips against his, but he pulled back abruptly, "wait, there is more I must tell you…" He paused and cast a glance around the apartment. He dropped his voice down to a whisper, "where is your mirror? The floor length one that you brought from home?" Sarah gave him wide eyes.

"How do you know about my mirror?" She asked, dropping her hand from his hair.

"Jareth." He replied and she gave him a questioning look. "You're mirror, is a portal of sorts," he explained, "to the Underground, and it opens up into Jareth's… well, into his castle. Where is it?"

"It's in my room." She told him, standing to move to her room.

"Wait, let me." He stood and brushed past her, her bedroom door was cracked and Jack peered inside to where her mirror stood, then he shut the door firmly behind him. "That should keep us from being overheard. Now, unless Jareth is spying on you from one of his crystal balls, we should be safe."

"Spying on me? He still does that?" She asked watching him as he walked back towards the couch.

"Not often," he replied, "at least I don't think so. Usually he only peeks in on you so he can keep tabs on you. Not really to watch your every move. And I think, that if he were spying tonight, that he would have shown up by now, he doesn't trust me right now."

"Why's that?" She asked, but he just shrugged in reply.

"He should be busy tonight though, my aunt, Queen of the Northern Summits, called him away to settle a dispute between some of his goblins and the trolls." He sat beside her again.

Sarah wrinkled her nose, "the trolls?" Jack nodded.

"The live in the Northern Summits, near my home, much like the goblins live near Jareth's." He moved back towards the couch and reclaimed his seat, though he was closer to Sarah, and she felt her pulse quicken. "Sarah, this… contract that I have with Jareth, it forbids me from sharing the details, I can not tell you why I am here," as he spoke he reached out to grasp her hand, "I can tell you that I wish desperately that I could break free from it's terms. This… job is not what I expected."

"In what way?" She asked, watching his fingers as he stroked the back of her hand.

"I didn't count on you," he stated simply, "I never expected to fall…" But his words were caught off by the buzzing of his phone and he swore under his breath. He pulled it out glanced at the caller id and swore again. Swiping his finger across the screen he answered it. "Hello?" There was a pause and Sarah strained to listen to the caller. "Yes I am," another pause, "how much time?" A moment then Jack swore again before hanging up the phone without a good-bye.

Before Sarah could question him, Jack pressed his lips against hers and once again she was lost. He kissed her desperately, but pulled away after just a few seconds. "I must go," he said with apparent regret, "Jareth is on his way here."

"Here? As in my apartment?" She asked pulling back from him quickly. A pained look appeared in his eyes and Sarah felt her heart crack.

"That was Kai, they were on their way to my aunt's castle, when Jareth decided to check in on you after all, he wasn't pleased to find us walking towards your apartment. He sent Kai on to deal with the goblins and was headed here. I must be gone before he gets here. Tell him that I simply walked you home." He searched her eyes, "please, for both our sakes." She nodded and he gave her one last pained glance before standing and heading to the door.

"Jack?" She called after him, he turned, but she didn't know what she'd wanted to say.

"I will see you tomorrow." He said simply and was out the door before she could reply. She sat in the silence for a moment. Lost in thought, she was unaware of how much time had passed and oblivious to her surroundings. She replayed Jack's words to her, and she felt certain that he had been about to tell her that he loved her. The though made her chest contract.

"Good evening, Precious." Sarah jumped and whirled to find Jareth leaning against her bedroom's door frame. A look of pure malice in his eyes.


	24. My Games, Your Games

"Jareth," Sarah said with a sigh, "I thought you were going to be occupied for the night." She remained seated, trying to appear calm and nonchalant.

"I was," he admitted, continuing to glare at her as he moved purposefully towards her, "but something caught my eye that couldn't be ignored." He came to a stop before her and stood staring down at her, she leaned back, trying to put some distance between them. "Tell me, Precious, did you have a nice chat with Jack?" Sarah fought to keep her face neutral.

"Jack? Not really, after you left the Bean, we closed up and he walked me home, then left. Other than a few pleasantries, we didn't really, 'chat', as you put it." She pressed herself into the couch. He watched her closely as she finished, and she wished that she was a better liar.

"Walked you home?" he questioned, "and why would he do that? Did you feel as though you needed an escort?" Sarah only shrugged in response, and Jareth's eyes flashed. "Sarah." His tone was sharp and she flinched. Upon seeing her cringe, the look in his eyes softened, "Sarah… Sarah." He fell to his knees and kneeled before her. "Do you not see what you do to me? Do you not understand, Sarah?" He laid his head on her lap and Sarah felt herself freeze, unsure what to do. Jareth's eyes were closed and he seemed to be in pain, the lines of his face were taught with emotion and she felt her heart call out to him. Cautiously, she reached forward and ran a finger along his sharp cheekbone, he inhaled sharply at the contact and, slowly, Sarah smoothed the lines from his face, one by one, until he looked relaxed before her. Her chest ached at his beauty.

"Jareth." She whispered softly and he opened his eyes, the mismatched colors bore into her and she found feelings long since brushed aside, worming their way into her very bones. Time seemed to stand still, each of them waiting to see what the other would do. Sarah studied the planes of his face, each curve, each sharp angle, how she ached for a pencil and sketchpad at that moment. Always before when she'd drawn him, he was hard, cold, but now, now he was soft, and vulnerable and the longing in his eyes screamed to be captured with graphite and ink. He sighed again and stood.

"Not yet, Precious, you are not ready yet." He looked sad as he said it.

"Ready? Ready for what?" She asked moving to stand as well, he took a small step back to allow her room, though they still stood only a few inches apart.

"You already know," he replied reaching forward to pinch her hair between his fingers, "and soon, you will see it." They stood and she found herself transfixed by his eyes again. She didn't know if she would be able to break free, this time. Her breath hitched and Jareth's eyes narrowed at the sound. She could see that he was struggling to control himself.

"Just kiss me, you idiot." Sarah surprised herself with the bluntness of it and Jareth's eyes widened slightly. A half smile tugged at his lips, and Sarah watched as a change overcame his expression, and all of his control snapped. His hand that had been toying with her hair, shot to the back of her neck and he pulled her lips to his, slamming them together with a force that almost hurt. Sarah was surprised to find that the near pain thrilled her and she felt herself succumbing to Jareth as he coaxed her lips apart. She obeyed, opening herself to him, allowing their kiss to deepen. Sarah found that her hands had moved on their own, she had unbuttoned his vest and was pulling the billowy shirt from the waist of his pants, reaching beneath it to touch the skin of his waist, she dug her nails into his lower back, pulling him towards her. Jareth made a sound low in his throat and it nearly undid her. His hands slid down her shoulders taking the sleeve of her camisole and bra with them. It was then, that Sarah came back into herself. With an effort she tore her mouth from Jareth's and pushed against his chest. "Wait…" she breathed, "wait, I can't. Too… too fast." she managed as she tried to control her breathing.

"Agreed," Jareth said with a small smile, "this was not in my plans, but as I've stated, things with you never seem to go as planned." His look was wistful as he gazed at her. Sarah bit her lip, not wanting to pick apart his words, but found she couldn't help herself.

"Plans?" She questioned, narrowing her eyes at him, "what plans do you have that involve me?" She pushed against his chest again, needing space to think. "I am not a pawn," she continued, "you cannot keep forcing your way into my life for your own games and sick pleasure." Anger began to seep into Jareth's eyes and he fixed her with a hard look.

"My games? MY games?" He stepped into her again, taking back the space that Sarah had put between them. "Must we do this again, Sarah? YOU asked the child be taken, you demanded a chance to win him back, you turned my own subjects against me to aide in that ridiculous assault on my castle, you destroyed my Escher Room with little more than words," he grasped her chin between his fingers and stared daggers into her eyes, "you have used me in every possible way under the stars and you have the arrogance to claim to be a pawn in MY games. MY games?" He laughed then, but the sound was without humor. "Last we met I was unprepared for you, Sarah. You, who tramples everything in her path, throwing tantrums whenever she does not get her way." Sarah shrank back from Jareth and jerked her chin from his grasp. "My sick pleasure, believe me, Sarah, there is far better ways to gain pleasure than this." Her face flushed at his implication and she found that she could not meet his eyes. They stood in silence for several seconds, and Sarah found herself fighting back tears.

"What do you want from me?" Sarah whispered, keeping her eyes fixed on the carpet beneath her feet. She felt his eyes on her and struggled not to squirm beneath his gaze.

"Only forever," he whispered back, disappearing in a spray of glitter, which sprinkled down into her hair and stuck to her cheeks and eyelashes, "not long at all."


	25. The Portal

That night, Sarah tossed and turned, sleep eluding her. She stared into the darkness, her reflection staring back at her from across the room. She'd thrown a blanket over the mirror earlier as Jack's words had replayed in her mind, she was not going to be spied on, not if she could help it. A portal to the Underground… slowly, she stood and moved towards the mirror, reaching out, she pulled the blanket from over it, letting it fall to the floor. She studied her reflection, she looked pale in the moonlight, her black shorts and matching tank top gave her an otherworldly translucence. Reaching forward she tried to imagine her hand going through the glass, but was met with the cold surface of the mirror.

"If this is a portal," she murmured to herself, "then there must be a way through it." She ran a finger across the smooth surface, racking her brain for ideas. "The Goblin King had fallen in love with the girl and had given her certain powers…" the words came unbidden to her mind and Sarah whispered them aloud as she stared at herself. "say your right words… but what words?" she pondered aloud. Words, she thought back to the words in the book, but could only remember bits and pieces. She did remember that the words had been simple, "I wish… I wish…" she paused, taking a moment to gather herself, "I wish for a way into Jareth's Castle." The surface of the mirror rippled and Sarah jerked her hand back, it's surface morphed and changed until she was staring into a room, low lit and somewhat familiar. She could just make out the shape of the giant canopy bed from her dream with Jareth.

Biting her lip and gathering her courage, she pressed forward, this time meeting no resistance, she found herself slipping through the mirror into the grand bedroom beyond.

The room was the same as she remembered, large and daunting, but there was no roaring fire in the fireplace, instead it glowed red with hot embers, as though the fire had been burning for hours, leaving ash in it's place. The double glass doors were pulled shut, though the curtains were open and the moonlight trickled through, casting light onto the silver, black, and white bedding. She walked towards the enormous bed, reaching out to touch the soft silks and satins. It was a bed made for a king, and so it was, she knew, Jareth's bed, his bedroom, the portal in her mirror opened into Jareth's own room. She turned to glance at the way she'd entered, and found a grand mirror that was easily nine feet tall, the surface was smooth, and showed only the reflection of the room around her.

She turned from it and walked hesitantly around the foot of the bed to the carved wooden door, the last time she saw it, she hadn't gotten close enough to make out the designs, but as she approached, she could see now that it was divided into panels, and each one depicted a moment of her time in the Labyrinth. The first, was when she stood on the hill over looking the vast maze, the next was her running through one of it's corridors, next was her standing before the card doors while she tried to figure out their riddle. The panels continued on and on until finally in the last panel, she stood before Jareth, a look of defiance etched into her features and one of defeat on the Goblin Kings. She reached out to touch his face carved into the wood, and for the first time felt regret at what she had done to him.

"I didn't understand," she whispered to herself, "I didn't know what you were offering me." A tear slipped unbidden down her cheek and she wiped it away, hastily.

She tore her eyes from his face and reached for the doors handle, giving it a firm pull, it slid slowly open for her and she peered around it. The corridor beyond was quiet, lit by the occasional torch and she slipped through the small opening she'd made, straining to listen for any indication of someone approaching. She stood there, debating for a moment which direction to go and decided to go left, because, why not? She tiptoed silently across the cool stones beneath her bare feet and wished that she'd had the frame of mind to change into something decent before beginning this adventure.

As she moved through the quiet hall, she found that she could make out voices in the distance. She walked on, until she found the source of the noise. Peering around a corner, she found herself to be outside of the throne room, the door was positioned the left of the throne where Jareth was seated and he was speaking.

"…a few changes to your contract." She caught the end of his words and her eyes widened as she realized that he was speaking to Jack, who knelt before him, his eyes cast to the stones at the King's feet. "As per usual when dealing with, Sarah, things have not progressed as expected."

"Your majesty? May I speak?" His voice was soft and Sarah was surprised at him, this sounded nothing like the confident man she'd come to know.

"You may." Jareth replied and Jack rose to his feet, raising his eyes to meet the Goblin Kings.

"What has not progressed as expected? Sarah seems to be on the path that you have laid before her." His words were careful and quiet and Sarah had to strain to hear what he'd said.

"Mostly, but certain… factors were not taken into account." Jareth stated, fixing Jack with a pointed look. "Your new contract is being drawn up and will be delivered to your chambers within the hour. Dismissed."

Jack, who looked like he'd wanted to say more, bowed slightly and turned towards the door she was peering through, she realized with a panic that he was going to see her. She turned and took off down the hall at a run. She realized too late that she had no idea which door was the one to Jareth's room. She knew that she had moved a ways down the hall, but before she'd been moving slowly, now she was running and afraid that she'd run right past her exit. She counted the doors as she passed, thinking that she had passed five doors on her way to the throne room. She stood before the sixth door and grabbed the handle, giving it a hard push she slipped inside, grateful to see the King's chambers. She pushed the door closed behind her and pressed her ear to the wood and listened as footsteps approached but moved on past the room she'd entered.

Sarah breathed a sigh of relief and closed her eyes, willing her breathing to return to normal. She turned to lean against the door and felt a wave of exhaustion overcome her. Her eyes stared longingly at the bed before her, but she walked towards the mirror, standing before it she thought of the words she must speak to get back to her apartment.

"I wish to go home." She said to her reflection. She waited, but nothing happened, the mirror remained smooth and reflected. "I wish to go home." She said with a little more force. Still nothing happened. Her heart fluttered and she bit her lip. "I wish to return home… I wish for a way home…" Nothing. "Dammit." she muttered to herself. She realized that if she couldn't get the portal open herself, then Jareth would have to do it for her. "Well," she muttered to herself as she turned towards the giant bed, "he'll find me here eventually." She swept back the first layer of blankets and slipped into the comfort of the silken sheets. Laying her head down onto a pillow, she inhaled the sweet scent of honeysuckle and sandlewood that was Jareth. She relaxed into the smell and instantly fell asleep.


	26. A Pleasant Surprise

Jareth sat on his throne, watching the goblins play a game of 'Pluck the Feather' with a small number of chickens. His thoughts were on Sarah, as they usually were and he found himself thinking of her eyes just before he'd kissed her, they had been so demanding, confident, and full of unfulfilled desire. A desire that he so desperately longed to quench. He tapped his riding crop against the edge of his boot, heat filled his veins and he wished he could be with her now, he knew she must be sleeping and longed to lie next to her, if only to watch her as she dreamed. He was restless and tired of watching the goblins play their games. He stood and without a word left the throne room, heading to his chambers, telling himself that he would only peek in on Sarah for an instant, just long enough to see that she was indeed, sleeping.

He entered his room moving to the mirror that hung next to the fireplace, he passed his hand over the surface, conjuring the image of Sarah's room with but a thought. It's surface rippled and transformed into the window between their worlds. He was surprised of course, to see that she was not in her bed. He furrowed his brows in concern and whipped up a crystal from the air, "show me Sarah." He whispered and instantly the fog cleared from the crystal, shaping into the beautiful brunette that had captured his heart. She was indeed asleep, though not in her own bed. Jareth whirled around, dropping the crystal to the stone floor, where it shattered into a harmless spray of glitter. He had recognized the bedding Sarah was sleeping in and he moved slowly to his bed to find her there, sleeping in his room… in his bed. He stared at her in shock, but felt the stirrings of satisfaction to see her surrounded by the blacks and silvers of his world.

His wish to watch her sleep had somehow been granted, she seemed at peace and he longed to keep her here always. Her dark hair fanned across his pillow, he reached out to touch it, running his fingers through the dark waves, pleased at the softness under his fingertips. There was a sudden knock at the door and Jareth jerked his hand back from Sarah, he moved quickly to his doorway and opened it to find one of his goblins waiting. He could not remember his name and didn't care at that moment.

"Sorry to disturb your majesty, but Prince Jack is requesting another audience. He waits in the throne room." The goblin squeaked and Jareth sighed in frustration, he was unwilling to leave Sarah alone in his bed, but he knew why Jack wished for the meeting, he had no doubt received his contract, and was unhappy with the new terms. A smile touched Jareth's lips.

"Bring him here, to my chambers, I will see him now." Without waiting for a reply, he shut the door and returned his gaze once more to Sarah's sleeping form. He produced another crystal and whispered into the darkness.

"Silence surrounds, silence within." He blew against the crystal softly and it drifted from his hand to hover over Sarah, where it popped showering her in silver glitter. A few moments later there was another knock at his door and Jareth opened to find an angry, frosted prince.

"Your Majesty," Jack growled through closed teeth, "I need to discuss the terms of your new contract."

"Of course," Jareth agreed, "but keep your voice low, I have company, and she is asleep." He swept the door open wide and pointed to Sarah with his free hand before turning to sit in one of the chairs by the fireplace. Behind him, he heard Jack's intake of breath as he caught sight of Sarah sleeping on Jareth's bed. "Is there a problem?" Jareth asked, turning to see Jack still standing near the door, his eyes fixed on Sarah.

"Why is Sarah asleep in your bed." Jack demanded his voice cold.

"It's the strangest thing isn't it? To see the woman you love with another man, in his bed." Jareth sneered at Jack, who felt his insides freeze.

"The woman I… I don't know what you mean, Majesty." Jack managed, finally tearing his eyes from Sarah to look at the Goblin King.

"Of course you don't," Jareth agreed, "after all, the infamous Jack Frost does not love. You may want to control that flurry you're brewing overhead. I do not fancy a snow storm in my bedroom." He smiled at Jack knowingly. Jack looked above his head to the clouds that he had gathered to him, he'd been unaware of the storm and cursed himself for his lack of control. With a thought they dispersed and he fixed Jareth in his sights once again.

"Sarah would not willingly climb into your bed and you know it. What did you do?" He demanded again and Jareth sighed.

"I would not presume to know what Sarah would or would not do if I were you," Jareth began, shifting his eyes from the frost prince, to the woman asleep in his bed, "I assure you I did not place her there, and what's more I was just as surprised as you to find her, although I would think I am considerably more pleased by this surprise than you."

Jack withered upon hearing Jareth's words and stepped towards the bed where Sarah lay asleep. If Jareth had not placed her in his bed, then she had climbed in on her own, though how she had found his way into Jareth's castle he wasn't… realization dawned on him and Jareth zeroed in on it.

"You know," Jareth accused, "you know how she came to be in my bed don't you." Jack pulled his mask back into place and fixed Jareth with a hard look.

"I know no such thing." He moved towards Jareth and took the other chair by the fireplace as his own. Jareth decided to let this slide for the moment as Jack continued speaking, "now, as for the new terms in our contract, I can not accept."

"You can't accept?" Jareth asked with a raised brow, "what part of the contract is it that you object to?" Jack glared in reply causing Jareth to chuckle. "Well, we can hardly negotiate if you do not tell me what you disagree with." Jack cast a glance at Sarah, still asleep in the Kings bed. He shrugged his shoulders and slouched in defeat. He couldn't argue the terms of the contract without admitting his feelings for Sarah and Jareth knew it.

"When?" Jack asked his eyes still on the girl.

"As soon as possible." Jareth replied, following Jacks line of sight to gaze at Sarah as well.

"Very well," Jack agreed, rising to his feet, "as soon as possible." With one last look at Sarah he left, leaving Jareth staring after him.

As the door closed behind Jack, Jareth stood to stand beside Sarah once more. It was too early for her to be in his bed, to early for her to have made her way into the castle. He cursed himself for what he was about to do. The last thing he wished to do was to play with her mind, her memory.

First, he removed the silencing spell from around her with a wave of his hand, then he produced another crystal, he placed it gently on her head and whispered, 'In Dreams'. Again it popped over her, raining blue and gold glitter onto her face, catching in her hair. He wished he could leave her to waken on her own, in his bed, but he needed her to believe that the time she'd spent in his castle was nothing more than a dream.

As she slept on, Jareth pulled the blanket back, revealing her pale skin to the moonlight, he felt the stirrings of desire in his blood and thought that no one had ever looked more beautiful than she did in the simple shorts and tank top. He struggled for control and reached forward to lift her into his arms. He stared hungrily at the small line of skin that had appeared between her shirt and shorts, with each movement, her shirt rode up a little more until the expanse of her smooth stomach was bare before his eyes. Jareth took a shuddering breath and averted his gaze, he carried her gently across his room, opening the portal between his world and hers, he slipped through and laid her softly on her bed. She breathed unevenly, stirring slightly as he pulled the comforter up over her chest, murmuring in her sleep, Jareth couldn't help but smile at the single word he could make out within her incoherent mumblings.

"Sleep well... my love." Jareth whispered and with one last look, he turned from her and slipped back through the portal.

Sarah felt sleep slipping away and had the strangest sensation of being carried. She felt the comfort of a mattress beneath her and came further into conciousness. Sleep well... my love. At the sound of his familiar voice Sarah forced herself awake and sat up in the darkness of her room she was alone, but she could swear that the mirror rippled slightly across her room. "Jareth." She said into the darkness, knowing in her heart, that she was lost.


	27. Decisions Ahead

As the sun rose, Sarah just couldn't gather the strength to go to her classes. Her life had been turned upside down over the weekend and she didn't think that an early morning Lit class mattered too much anymore. She now lived in a world where dreams are reality and her deepest desires were presented before her. It was ludicrous to think that she would be able to focus on anything today.

She lay in bed, watching the sun peek from between the blinds of the small bedroom window and wondered when she would see Jareth again… when she would see Jack again.

"What am I doing?" She wondered aloud, "A Goblin King and an Ice Prince?" She laughed at herself, unable to comprehend the trouble she was in. Her thoughts trickled briefly to her dream last night. It had seemed so real, she had truly felt like she'd been in Jareth's castle and had slept in his bed, but when she'd woken in her own, reason told her that it had been just a dream. Her heart told her something else entirely.

Her phone vibrated from it's spot on her night stand and her heart raced as she read the name that appeared on it's screen. Swiping her finger across the screen, a text message from Jack was revealed.

I NEED TO SEE YOU.

OK, WHEN?

TONIGHT. MEET ME AT THE UNDERGROUND? EIGHT.

ALRIGHT. SEE YOU THEN.

She smiled, pleased that Jack wanted to see her, but there was a tug on her heart at the thought, too and she couldn't shake the anger that she'd seen on Jareth's face when he'd thought they'd been together the night before. The Underground was Jareth's hangout, and she had a sneaking suspicion that it was more than that, and that possibly, he even owned it.

There was a knock at the door and Sarah strained to listen, waiting to see if Tonya was home to answer it. She sighed and dragged herself out of bed when the apartment remained silent. She walked through the living room and opened the front door to find a white, garment box sitting outside and a slightly smaller black shoe box sitting on top of it. She looked left and right down the hall, but saw no one. She picked up the boxes and brought them inside. There was no name on the outside, but somehow Sarah knew that it was for her, and what's more, she was almost certain she knew who it was from.

She pulled the lid from the top of the garment box first and inside, she found a note written in an elegant hand, lying atop layers of tissue paper.

'Sarah,

Please accept my apologies for my anger last night. Your tenacity is one of your best qualities. Please meet me tonight in the Underground. Ten o'clock.

Until then, think of me.

Jareth"

She bit her lip. Was this just a coincidence? Both of them wanting to meet at the Underground tonight? With the two hour gap, she thought that she might just be able to pull it off. Still she felt suspicious. She knew that Jack was working for Jareth, but she also knew that he no longer wanted to.

She set the note aside and turned to the layer of tissue paper in the box. Unfolding it, her inner princess squealed at what lie within. Reaching forward she pulled out a beautiful dress of deep purple. Again, it was sleeveless, with a sweetheart neckline, a gathering of sheer fabric pulled the waist in, leading to a layered skirt of the same sheer chiffon that flowed out beautifully to a short, asymmetrical hem. Nestled in the layers of fabric were systematically placed white jewels that gave the appearance of a night sky dotted with stars. A part of her knew that each jewel was a diamond, real and true, and she cringed slightly at what she was sure the cost of which, was an enormous fortune. She lay the dress back inside the box and moved to the other. Inside were a pair of high heels, in a tarnished silver color, a two inch strap ran across the ball, leaving the toe open. Pressed into each shoe were more of the diamonds, placed to form a constellation of stars she didn't recognize, immediately, but felt familiar to her.

Sarah's heart raced and she bit her lip. She longed to wear the dress that night, knowing that Jareth expected to see her in it. But could she really where a gift from one man to meet another? It didn't seem right somehow. Unless she rescheduled with Jack… then she could meet Jareth and wear the gifts free of guilt. Not sure what to do she stared longingly at the dress and shoes.

The rest of the day Sarah spent in the apartment, pondering what to do. The hours passed quickly and suddenly Sarah found that it was 6 o'clock and she must start getting ready. She took a quick, hot shower and meticulously applied her make up to the best of her own abilities. Next she dried her hair and pulled it up in an elegant bun with bobby pins, leaving tendrils to trail along her shoulders and back. As she pulled on a pair of panties and scrounged for her only sleeveless bra, she knew that she had made up her mind. She was going to wear the dress. She would meet Jack first, then Jareth, and maybe by the end of the night, she'd be able to choose between them. She knew that she couldn't lead them both on, she needed to let one or the other know that it wasn't going to happen.

She again, pulled the dress from the box and gingerly, pulled it over her head, it slid into place, fitting her like a glove. Of course, knowing Jareth, he'd probably had it custom made for her. Next she removed the shoes and slid them onto each foot. They were gorgeous, and Sarah thought they probably cost more than all of her possessions combined, including her jeep. She stood before her mirror and examined herself. The dress was absolutely gorgeous and the color made her skin look stark white, though not in an unhealthy way, more like the alabaster that old Hollywood movie stars had looked.

As she examined her reflection, a part of her felt that something was missing. The constellation of diamonds on her shoes was tugging at her memory and all at once, she realized where she had seen it before. The necklace that Jareth had given her yesterday morning, the diamonds on it's back formed the same pattern. Turning from the mirror, she moved to her nightstand, where she had put the necklace the day before, still nestled in it's box. Reaching forward, she pulled the lid from it and gently removed the pendant on it's long chain.

She knew that Jareth had meant her to wear it tonight, but she couldn't help feel like it meant something important if she were to put it on. It was after all, a copy of the pendant that Jareth wore himself. She thought that maybe, if she wore it, the decision would be made for her, and though she felt strongly for Jareth she didn't know if she was ready to say goodbye to Jack. Sarah sat on the edge of her bed and contemplated what to do. It was nearly 7:30 and she knew she had to be leaving very soon. Still unsure, Sarah slipped the necklace back into it's box and put the box inside the clutch she'd decided to bring along tonight. After all, it wasn't like she had pockets in this dress. She slipped her phone and wallet into the clutch as well and with one last glance in the mirror, she steeled herself for the evening ahead and the decision she knew she must make.


	28. In a Whirlwind

Sarah pulled into a spot near the front door, thankful that she didn't have to park in the back of the lot this time. Driving in the heels had proved to be a minor challenge, but she'd made it to the Underground in one piece. The shoes were gorgeous and shined beautifully in the dimming light of twilight, but she knew her feet would be barking by the time she got home later. She moved quickly through the busy parking lot and felt confident that she could skip the line of young adults waiting to enter. Sure enough, when she reached the door, the bouncer ushered her inside without a second thought. Sarah carefully made her way through the darkness, not wanting to twist an ankle; soon she made it to the door and moved swiftly through the dimly lit stairwell. When she reached the bottom, she pulled open the door and stood frozen as she took in the change in the surrounding club.

The walls were lined with mirrors that reached from floor to ceiling; it gave the appearance that the dance floor and surrounding tables went on endlessly. The lights that hung from the giant chandelier had multiplied, and now spread from the center of the room clear to its edges, covering the ceiling in a layer of twinkling lights that were truly breathtaking. The stage was empty, but there was soft music coming through the speakers, nothing like what you would expect in a club; however none of the guests seemed to mind the mellow atmosphere. Each table contained a centerpiece, in the middle of which was a large crystal ball sitting atop a tangle of white lights, giving each ball a beautiful glittering effect.

Sarah shifted nervously on her feet, she felt a stirring of apprehension at the back of her mind, but decided to dismiss it as nerves.

"Beautiful." Sarah jumped at the voice in her ear, spinning around she calmed when she realized it was Jack.

"Thank you," she replied, and took a moment to appreciate his beauty. Now that she knew who he really was and, the façade was gone and his silver eyes gleamed in the twinkling lights. He looked otherworldly, which she realized, is what he was. He wore a pair of gray jeans, torn and worn, and a black button up shirt, the top button left open, a silver chain glistened around his neck, but disappeared under the shirt. She reached forward to push a strand of white hair from his eyes, but he pulled out of reach, with a minute shake of his head. She gave him a questioning look.

"We're being watched." He whispered, keeping his eyes on hers. She dropped her hand and glanced around nervously. "I know that you are meeting Jareth here at ten, but I needed to see you first. There are things that I can't explain, but Sarah…" He trailed off and thrust a shaking hand through his hair. "Come with me." He turned and began walking to the right of the stage, near the bar. With little choice but to follow, Sarah made her way down the stairs and was mildly surprised, when Jack stopped before a door hidden in the darkness. He waited til she caught up, then pushed the door open, stepping aside to allow her entrance.

Jack closed the door securely behind him and they were cast into darkness.

"Jack, what…" She began, but was cut off as he grabbed her hand, pulling her against him. She lost her balance in the heels and would have fallen, but for his arm around her waist.

"Not yet," he whispered, and Sarah felt his breath soft against her cheek. She stood against him, but he made no move on her, and she began to feel awkward, standing so close in the darkness. After about ten seconds, she opened her mouth to speak, but was silenced by a sudden, freezing breeze that blew around them. The breeze picked up til it was a stronger wind, and she felt the sting of the cold on her nose. "Hold onto me." Jack whispered, she hesitated a moment, before slipping her arms around his neck, linking her fingers behind his head. His arm around her waist tightened as the wind picked up still more, until it felt like they were standing in a freezing hurricane.

"Jack!" She exclaimed pressing into him, suddenly scared. He didn't answer and she closed her eyes against the cold and fear. Finally, just as she felt she was going to begin to panic, the wind stopped, completely.

"Sarah." Jack whispered into her ear, and Sarah cracked her eyes open, then wider as she took in her surroundings.

She stood in a dimly lit room, and pulling herself from Jack's grasp, looked around herself in awe. The walls were stark white, covered in a layer of glistening white glitter, The floor of the room was a light gray marble, and directly beneath her feet was a white rug, that looked to be made of fur, but from what animal she didn't know. A large couch took up the majority of the room, it was a dark, charcoal gray and looked plush and comfortable. The light fixtures looked to be made of crystal or, possibly, diamond, each spaced evenly on the wall, and were the size of her forearm, a soft glow emitting from within. A giant fireplace had been carved directly into the wall, and danced with an unexpected blue flame.

Sarah turned and met Jack's eyes, a question in her own.

"Where are we?" She asked and he smiled softly.

"The Northern Summits." He stated simply and Sarah gaped at him.

"What? How did we..?" Her question trailed off as he stepped towards her.

"We don't have much time, Sarah," He began, stopping with mere inches between them, "I needed to talk to you, and this is the only place I knew we couldn't be spied on." He paused and took a shuddering breath, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"What is it?" She whispered, trembling slightly at his touch. His eyes bore into hers, the silver darkening to a molten gray.

"Tonight…" a look of panic flashed in his eyes and he grasped her face between his hands, placing his forehead against hers and closing his eyes. "Tonight, I will lose you." He whispered and Sarah's eyes widened, surprised.

"Jack, what do you mean? How will you lose me?" She placed her hands over his and he pulled back slightly, looking into her eyes, the pain was plain on his face. She narrowed her eyes in confusion. "How? How are you going to lose me?" She implored and he shook his head.

"I.. I can't. I told you I can't discuss it, but I…" he took a shuddering breath and Sarah's heart broke for him, "I will lose you, but I had to tell you before… before." He paused again and with a sigh he buried his face into her shoulder. "Sarah, you have done, what I thought no one could do. Before this, before you… I was ice, frozen, but you…" he paused again and with a heart wrenching cry, he pulled his head back and kissed her, the force of it startling her, and his lips were cold, freezing even, and when he pulled away, her lips stung. "I love you, Sarah." He whispered and she inhaled sharply.

"Jack…" she began, but he kissed her again, silencing her words. As he kissed her, he reached into her hair and pulled each pin out, so that her dark hair fell around her shoulders like a soft wave. Once it was free, he buried his hands in the soft curls and pulled gently, forcing her head to tip back as he broke from her mouth to place gentle, soft kisses along her jaw, and down her neck. She breathed into the air, that had chilled around them, and could see her breath in the dropping temperature. He continued his descent, leaving kisses down her shoulder, with each kiss, Sarah felt the sting against her skin. Though his kisses were cold, her body felt hot, flushed. "Jack," she said again, as a single snowflake fell against her upturned cheek, appearing as if from nowhere. He didn't answer and Sarah watched as more snowflakes began to fall, until they were standing in small, quiet flurry.

"Sarah," Jack whispered, releasing her hair, and she was able to lower her jaw, meeting his eyes, "I have to get you back, but I had to tell you." He ran his knuckles along her jaw line and she bit her lip, reaching forward, she wiped a snowflake from his cheek and he turned his face into her touch, laying a kiss against her palm. "Please, don't tell anyone. No one must know that I…" he didn't finish, but Sarah understood and nodded her agreement. He smiled at her, but it was sad and didn't reach his eyes. "Hold on." He whispered and she stepped into him, wrapping her arms around his waist and laid her cheek against his chest.

"Jack," she started as the wind picked up once more, "I…"

"Don't." he interrupted, wrapping his arms around her tightly, "don't say it." And she didn't, but her eyes filled with tears, one escaping to slip down her cheek, freezing near her mouth, as they were once again swept away.


	29. Peach Bubbly

When the wind died, Sarah found that they were cast once again, into darkness and she released her hold on Jack. He hesitated before letting go. There was a pause and then the door was pulled open and she could make out the shape of Jack in front of her, backlit by the light of the club.

"Come," he muttered, "we haven't much time." Sarah slipped passed him and Jack didn't look at her as he led the way to the staircase on the other side of the stage. He held his hand out to her to help her climb the stairs in her heels, and she was grateful for the assistance. His skin was soft but cold and she flushed as she remembered the touch of his mouth on her neck, the contrast between the hot and cold had been exhilarating.

They reached the top of the stairs and he released her quickly, the balcony was clear, but for a single table.

"Have a seat." Jack said softly and she cast him a curious look, but he turned avoiding her gaze, and made his way to the bar. She stared after him for a moment, and then walked to the table, taking a seat. There were two other chairs before her. A moment later Jack returned and placed a champagne flute in front of her. He took one of the empty seats and took a large swallow from his own glass. Sarah eyed him thoughtfully. He seemed to be purposefully avoiding her gaze, but as they were alone on the balcony, she could do little but stare at him.

Tonight I'll lose you… He'd seemed so sure of it. How? How was he going to lose her? He'd said that she would hate him, but she couldn't think why. There was nothing she could think of that would make her hate this man. She bit her lip in concentration. She knew that he was working for Jareth, but couldn't give her the details. She had never questioned Jareth about why he was really here, he'd said he wanted to make her desperate… desperate for him. But what role could Jack possibly play in that? And she knew, sure as he sat before her, that whatever he was going to do was at Jareth's request… didn't she? Isn't that what he'd said? She felt confused. She couldn't trust Jareth, but could she trust Jack? She hardly knew him, it'd been what 3 weeks, four? That's hardly enough time to know someone.

He'd said he loved her. Could he really after so little time? Did she love him? She mulled the thought over in her mind… No. She didn't think that she did, but she might, one day. Most of the time she'd known him she didn't even know who he really was? You can't love someone that you don't know. She didn't believe in love at first sight. She tore her eyes from him and picked up her drink. She swirled the light pink liquid around, but didn't feel like taking a drink. She knew it was alcohol, and she needed to keep a clear head. As she sat, contemplating her feelings for the man in front of her, she became aware of a change in atmosphere around her.

"Have a drink, Sarah." Jack said, finally meeting her eyes. The look he gave her was hard, gone was the warmth from earlier, when they'd been alone. She shook her head and he narrowed his eyes.

"I need to keep a clear head." She murmured and one corner of his mouth lifted in amusement.

"Alcohol free," he reassured her, "promise." She gave him a look, considering, and she reached for the drink, hesitantly and took a small sip. Peaches, of course, but she could detect no trace of alcohol. She took a larger swallow and relaxed slightly. He looked away from her and she slid her own gaze down, watching the bubbles raise up inside the flute. After a moment, she realized that the club had gone silent. She stood and turned towards the rail of the balcony, looking down at the floor below, she realized that it was vacant, she and Jack seemed to be the only people left in the club. She turned towards him.

"Where'd everyone go?" She asked him, but he only shrugged in reply. She eyed him warily, but he seemed unconcerned.

"Come," he said insistently, "finish your drink, it's almost time." With one last glance at the empty club, Sarah returned to her seat, clutching her purse to her nervously. She finished her drink slowly. Empty and quiet, the club felt eerie and she was getting uncomfortable. Jack stood suddenly.

"I'll get you another." He said quietly, walking away to the bar before Sarah could protest. She didn't want another drink. She wanted to know what was happening. She opened her clutch, reaching inside for her phone to check the time, but instead of her phone, her hand closed around the box, containing the pendant from Jareth. She pulled it out, considering. What could it hurt? Jareth had given it to her, surely he expected her to wear it. She knew that it had to be near ten. She flipped the lid open and carefully removed the odd shaped pendant. The diamonds scattered throughout, glittered beautifully in the soft twinkling lights. Carefully she undid the clasp and slipped it around her neck, securing the chain behind her neck. It fell perfectly, the bottom of it, just brushing the top of her cleavage. An unexplained shiver ran up her spine and she felt for a moment, a sense of fulfillment, but it passed quickly and she dismissed it.

A moment later, Jack returned with her refill and placed it before her. She reached for it and took a drink, Jack stood beside her, waiting, for what she didn't know. A minute passed and Sarah began to feel funny. Her head swam and her vision blurred slightly. She shook her head lightly, trying to clear the fog away, but the movement only worsened her symptoms.

"What…" she trailed off as the room spun around her, "Jack," she muttered, zeroing in on his face, "Jack, what have you done?" Then everything went black.


	30. Betrayel

Sarah came to slowly, a voice she recognized was coaxing her awake, but he sounded very far away, or perhaps, like she was listening under water.

"Sarah…." the voice was soft and so familiar, "wake up." She cracked her eyes open and blinked in confusion. Jack was in front of her, but his face was… distorted, didn't look quite right. As she sat up, she realized why, she was encased in what looked to be a giant crystal. Her eyes widened, the crystal was huge, big enough to fit the bed that she lay upon, with it's light gray, silk sheets, and it's soft fur comforter, that was so soft against her hands.

Even though his face was distorted through the crystal, she could see Jack watching her, a calculated look in his eyes.

"Jack? What is going on? Where am I?" She pushed the comforter from on top of her and chilled in the open air. Her dress, the one that Jareth had given her, was gone, and instead she wore a short, silver nightgown, made of soft silk, a blue ribbon tied just below her breasts, and the silk was dotted with the most intricate snowflakes she'd ever seen. Jareth's pendant was still around her neck and she found it's presence, oddly comforting. "What am I…? Jack, what the hell is happening?"

"Oh stop asking so many questions. Good, God, do you never shut up?" Sarah startled at the voice.

"Kai?" Sarah recognized Jareth's sister as she stepped into view from the room beyond her crystal prison. She shifted her gaze back to Jack, as Kai stepped up next to him, running her hand down the length of his arm. Jack stiffened slightly and Kai laughed, a soft delicate sound that Sarah's teeth on edge. "Where is Jareth? I thought that I was supposed to be meeting him."

Kai stepped closer to Sarah's crystal and tapped her finger against it's surface, a cruel smile on her face. "You were. But I'm sorry to say that my dear brother was… delayed. Urgent matters that only the Goblin King could take care of. Inconvenient, would you say?" She laughed again and Sarah narrowed her eyes in confusion. "It is a good thing that Jack was there to keep you company wasn't it?" She turned back to Jack and ran her finger up his chest, leaning into him. He didn't move, didn't even flinch and Kai laughed again. "Poor Jack Frost… a heart of ice and easily bought."

"I'm confused," Sarah announced, "why am I here?" Kai sighed and turned back to her flipping her white hair over her shoulder.

"You, Sarah, are here, because my soft, stupid brother has become weak. He is obsessed with a stupid, mortal and it is not becoming of a King. You, have pulled his focus, made him forget himself. He was so wonderfully cruel, so perfectly calculated," Kai snarled, "then came you." She slammed her hand again the crystal and Sarah jumped, the sound echoed in her prison and the floor shook slightly. "You wished you poor baby brother away to the Goblin's. You asked that he be taken, and so Jareth took him, gave you the chance to run the Labyrinth like so many before you. And you should not have made it to the city. No one ever has," the look in Kai's eyes grew more vicious as she continued, "we assumed it was because you were strong, you were… a worthy adversary. Believed that you defeated the Labyrinth because you were meant to, because you were to rule with Jareth. That was the point after all. Jareth refused to take a wife, refused to share his kingdom. He didn't think that anyone was worthy of him, of his throne. So our parents built the Labyrinth, and told him that if ever a woman defeat it, that she was to be his queen. So, of course, Jareth, my cunning brother, made it impossible to complete. With pitfalls and traps all designed to send the runner back to the beginning, until finally each and every one has given up."

"I don't understand." Sarah said, "I am not ruling the Goblin's with Jareth."

"Obviously!" Kai snapped and Sarah grimaced, "You stupid mortal. Jareth told you, he offered you everything." She pressed her hand against the crystal and it's surface rippled, Sarah gasped as an image formed, she saw herself standing in the escher room, and Jareth stood before her. His voice echoed through her mind.

_"Everything that you wanted I have done. You asked that the child be taken, I took him. You cowered before me, I was frightening. I have re-ordered time, I have turned the world upside down and I have done it all for you. I am exhausted from living up to your expectations of me. Isn't that generous?"_

Sarah watched as the old Sarah stopped listening. She watched her mind drift, thinking about the words in the book, the Labyrinth._ "Through dangers untold," S_arah heard herself say, _"and hardships unnumbered I have fought my way here to the castle beyond the goblin city, for my will is as strong as yours, and my…"_

"_Stop!"_ Jareth demanded, and Sarah saw now, what she hadn't then, a look of panic crossed his features, _"wait, look Sarah, look at what I'm offering you. Your dreams, and my kingdom is great, I ask for so little. Just let me rule you, and you can have everything that you want."_

She tore her eyes from this echo, this image from her past, she turned her back on it, as her past self continued, _"kingdom is great, damn I can never remember that line."_

_"Just fear me, love me, and I will be your slave."_

Sarah's heart cracked at the words. She'd replayed this moment so often in her dreams, and she understood now what she had turned down. A tear slipped from her eye, "stop it…" she whispered softly, even as past Sarah said her final lines.

_"My kingdom is as great. You have no power over me!"_ Sarah refused to turn around, refused to see the look on Jareth's face again. The moment of disbelief as she turned him down. Him. Not his kingdom, not the Goblin city, just its king.

"You made him weak," Kai said into the silence, "he is unfit to rule any longer. You, Sarah are here, because Jareth is going to make a choice. Your life for his kingdom.


	31. The Price

Sarah gasped and stepped back, her legs bumped the edge of the bed and she fell onto it. She looked at Jack, and he remained calm, stoic. The only crack in his hard façade was a slight tightening of his eyes.

"You see, Sarah," Kai began, pulling Sarah's attention back to her, "either way, I win. If Jareth chooses you, he loses the kingdom, and if he chooses to let you die, well… things will go back to the way they were before. Before you poisoned his mind." Sarah's gaze drifted to Jack again. Kai followed her gaze and laughed again, the soft sound made Sarah flinch. "Oh, yes, Jack, Jack Frost," she continued, her voice musical, "so easy to be bought. Jareth was paying him a small fortune for his services, but loyalty is nothing when someone offers something more. It wasn't hard to see the crack in his icy heart. Even Jareth began to suspect it, after a little nudge from me of course." She smiled wickedly, "Jack, the man with ice in his heart, incapable of love, has finally melted." Kai stepped to the edge of Sarah's crystal again, "Personally, I don't see it. I mean no offense, Sarah, but there is nothing 'Precious' about you. And yet, you have managed to ensnare not only my brother, a man who has lived for centuries without even a hairs breadth of feeling for another, but now Jack, the heartless, mercenary for higher."

"Jack?" Sarah said, her voice trembling. Finally, he met her eyes and for a moment Sarah saw them flash with regret.

"Well, I'm sure the two of you have much to talk about, and I well, I have a ransom note to send." Kai's eyes flashed with unbridled excitement. "Enjoy these moments, Sarah, you don't have many left." With those parting words, she turned and disappeared from the room. Upon her departure, Jack's shoulders slumped and his eyes fell to the floor, once again refusing to meet Sarah's gaze.

"Jack, I need to know what is happening. Why is Kai threatening my life for the Goblin throne?" Sarah asked, rising to her feet and stepping the edge of her crystal room. She placed her hand against the surface, wishing she could touch his face.

"Because she's mad, crazy, insane," Jack began, his voice barely more than a whisper, "does it matter why? All that matters is that she is, and Jareth….," his voice trailed off and he kicked his foot into the floor, "I'm sorry, Sarah, I didn't realize this was her endgame."

"Jareth doesn't love me," Sarah said, "he… he thinks he does, but when it comes to it, I am nothing when compared to a throne," She traced her finger across the crystal, drawing invisible circles, "I'm just a mortal, barely worth the air I breath." She jumped, as Jack slammed his fist into the crystal barrier between them.

"You are worth far more than the Goblin Kingdom, or the Northern Summits, Sarah, if Jareth doesn't see that then he is a fool." He pressed his forehead against the smooth surface and Sarah felt herself falling into the blue of his eyes.

"What is my life worth then Jack? What is it that you took as payment to betray Jareth, to betray me?" She hadn't wanted to ask, but knew she had to know.

He sucked in a breath and pain flashed through his eyes, "Sarah, I didn't know, I didn't know she was planning to trade your life, I thought, I don't know what I thought." He sighed heavily, "I don't want to live in my mother's shadow anymore, I've been the Crown Prince of the Northern Summits for 500 years with no end in sight." He leaned back, away from the glass, "and Kai… well, if Jareth chooses you, chooses to save your life, I get the Goblin Kingdom, and if, not… well, we were planning to take it by force, the hard way. But that was before, before I met you, before I…" He held her gaze, and Sarah took a shuddering breath.

"Don't say it." Sarah whispered, feeling the anger building, "I am not something that can be bartered and traded." She stepped from the glass, and turned her back on him fidgeting with Jareth's pendant. Ironic, that her life was now in the hands of the Goblin King, the one she'd defeated and left in shame. She didn't believe he would choose her, not after what she'd done to him. Her life was over, it was only a matter of when.

Jack tried to speak to her again, but Sarah ignored him. She lay on the bed and stared at the wall, wondering if there was something she could have done to prevent this. Finally, he left and Sarah was left alone.

She held the pendant in front of her face, running her fingers across the diamonds pressed into it's smooth surface. She could feel the end coming for her. Jareth would never give up his kingdom… she knew that and so fully expected to die soon. There was nothing for her to do, but sit and wait.


	32. Ransom

Jareth appeared in the Underground Club with a spray of glitter. He had a headache that seemed to be drilling away at his temples. As the glitter settled, he cast a glance about him in confusion. The club was silent, a single table sat on the balcony, two champagne flutes sat on its surface, one full, the other empty and of the three chairs surrounding the table, one was knocked over. He stepped towards it and picked up the empty champagne flute, he sniffed it curiously and was surprised by the scent of enchanted peach. The very kind he grew in his kingdom. He felt his foot knock against something solid and bent to retrieve the object. It turned out to be a small handbag, he opened it and dumped its contents onto the table. A cellphone, wallet, and a set of keys spilled out and he retrieved the wallet, opening it to find Sarah's ID inside. Where was Sarah, then? Obviously she'd been here.

Jareth conjured a crystal and demanded it show her to him. The surface shimmered and rippled, but did not produce her image. He tried again, and was given the same result, frustrated he dropped the crystal and it shattered atop the table, showering Sarah's belongings with glitter. He was to meet her here, where he was once again going to offer her the chance to rule beside him. Her unexpected demand that he 'kiss her', was enough to convince him to forgo his initial plans, not to mention, the delightful surprise of finding her sleeping in his bed. He felt confident that she would not deny him again. He picked up her belongings and replaced them inside her bag, leaving it lying on the table. It was 10:30, he wasn't so late that he hadn't expected Sarah to still be waiting for him.

There had been a skirmish between the Northern Trolls and his Goblins that had been building for weeks and had finally reached violence levels. Thankfully only a few Goblins had been hurt and one troll had been thrown into the Bog. He would stink, but was otherwise unharmed. This is what had kept him from Sarah, and now she was missing.

"Sire?" Jareth whirled at the small voice to find a goblin, Pudge? Porter? He couldn't recall at the moment.

"What is it?" He asked, taking note of the nervous way he jumped from foot to foot, his little bug eyes, casting about anxiously.

"This just arrived at the castle." The goblin, Porker?, produced a small envelope and presented it to Jareth. The purple seal of his sister had been broken, and he was curious, confused as to why he would be receiving correspondence in this way. He reached and took it from the little goblin, who quickly scurried away, causing Jareth to frown. Normally his goblins weren't _this _skittish around him. He slipped a gloved finger inside the envelope and produced a small card. Quickly, he read its contents, then again slowly, the confusion giving way to anger at the words before him.

_My dearest brother,_

_You are weak. And I have taken your weakness. I have allowed you to play your foolish games with the mortal girl, but no more. You are unfit to rule so long as she draws breath. If you wish to keep your kingdom, then forget the girl. Give up your kingdom, or give up the girl. _

_Kisses,_

_K_

_PS. Jack has been a big help. The mortal trusts him so completely, and you believed him to be held firmly in your pocket. Silly, Goblin King. _

Jareth's hand closed around the card and he gave an angry cry, in a fit, he upended the table, sending objects flying. His emotions swirled and he felt as though he stood on the edge of a precipice. Sarah, his Sarah.

"Kai! Kai, you traitorous, bitch!" With less than a though, Jareth teleported to his castle, upon his sudden appearance in the throne room, goblins scattered. They ran and hid, shaking against the fury the Goblin King carried with him. "Find me Kai!" He demanded of his subjects, "Find me Kai, find me Jack," his voice, dropped to a murderous whisper "and find me Sarah!"

The Goblin's climbed over each other in a stampede, racing to do their kings bidding. Within seconds the throne room was clear and Jareth collapsed into his throne. He buried his face into his hands, his mind was reeling and the he felt he was losing control. Sarah or his throne. He'd always known Kai was conniving, but he had never imagined she would turn on him, didn't think she'd ever mutiny against him. She thought him weak? Him, Jareth? A humorless laugh escaped him. He was not weak. Sarah didn't make him weak, she made him strong.

For over 1000 years Jareth had been ruler, living, but he'd never truly been alive. Then on what was to be a routine Labyrinth run, everything changed. Sarah had been the first runner in nearly two hundred years. As things in the mortal world had advanced fewer people read the old tales and fewer still believed in anything fantastical. Magic had all but disappeared. Then just when he had begun to think he'd be able to live his eternity alone and in peace, which is how he'd wanted it, she'd called. He'd gone to her, begrudgingly, ready to get it over with, but the girl who had called to him had been… unexpected. She'd been strong, independent, spoiled, of course, but brilliant and resourceful, and so stubborn. At first she'd been nothing more than a mild fascination. A mortal girl who spoke her mind and tried not to let him see her fear. Before the labyrinth runners and bowed before him, begged for mercy. But no Sarah, she'd met his gaze and claimed his labyrinth to be easy, a 'piece of cake'. The defiance in her gaze had sparked a fire within him, and as she navigated his traps and pitfalls, he'd discovered that he had to watch her. He'd found her demeanor endearing, yes, she'd complained, bitched a lot, but soon he'd found that it didn't irritate her, instead he'd found it charming.

He'd found himself to be captivated as she reached the Oubliette, further than any runner had before, he'd had to intercede personally, something that had never been needed before. Then again, after she'd found the Fireys. With each step into the Labyrinth he'd found his fascination growing and he'd felt the overwhelming need to be near her, to touch her. So he'd given Hogwart the peach, it would serve as both a distraction and an opportunity. The peach he'd given her was to reach into her dreams, into her deepest wants and wishes, giving her the perfect distraction from her brother, from her task.

So it'd been a surprise to discover that he had been pulled into her dream. He'd watched from the edges as she envisioned a great ballroom, full of dancing characters. As she'd entered the ballroom, she'd caught sight of him and he had been unable to move for a moment. She had been breathtaking, beautiful unearthly so. He'd frozen upon seeing her and she'd seen him. Still in control, he'd disappeared, retreating again to watch her from a distance. But once she'd seen him, she had pursued, searching the crowd. He'd felt an overwhelming urge to be close to her, to hold her in his arms. It had just been a dream after all, what could it hurt. So he'd allowed himself to be found, and pulled her to him. Immediately he knew that it had been a mistake, as he'd wrapped his arm around her, he felt the pull, and her eyes had enthralled him. He felt the infatuation growing, changing and when she'd pulled from his grasp, her mind clearing of the peach's toxin, he'd been unsurprised to feel the disappointment, the emptiness that filled him as she turned her back on him. For a fleeting moment, he felt pain.

A sound pulled him from his thoughts and he raised his head. No goblin would dare return, not without information. He stood and searched the empty throne room, seeking the source of the noise. A light pink marble rolled into view, it hit the bottom stair of his dias and bounced back, rolling before settling into view before him.

Kai. She was here.


	33. Conversations

Sarah lay on the soft cushion of fur and stared at the ceiling of her prison. Light refracted through its surface, casting rainbows about the room. If she hadn't been so resigned to her own death, she might have enjoyed the beauty of it. Instead she felt little but contempt, and the small pull of anger, of frustration. She had cared for Jack. Deeply, but upon reflection she knew that even if he had not turned out to be a treacherous bastard, he did not own her heart. Her fingers brushed the pendant and she felt tears well. Why did it feel as if it was too late? She finally admitted to herself, if no one else, that she loved Jareth. Loved him with every inch of her being, when she closed her eyes she was haunted by mismatched eyes and a wicked grin. Now it was too late. Jareth would not give up his kingdom and she knew that she would never have the opportunity now to tell him. She loved him, craved him, she wished to be with him, a wish that would now go unfulfilled.

She thought back, to all the decisions she'd made in the last month, Jareth had deceived her, but that's what he did. He was Fey after all, and he lived for deception and trickery. Even before, he'd revealed himself to be Jareth, and not Jay, she had known. Somewhere in her subconscious, she'd known that he was Jareth, her heart called out to him and she had hoped that maybe he'd answer her call. Now she'd never know.

Sarah sat up suddenly, remembering her dream, when she'd found herself stepping through to the Goblin Kingdom, to Jareth's bedroom. It still bothered her, she didn't remember falling asleep, she didn't remember even going to bed that night, but upon waking, had been convinced it'd been a dream, but what if? After all, Jareth had tricked her mind more than once.

"Say your right words…." She mumbled to herself, with a sigh, she concentrated, "I wish the Goblins would come and take me away, right now." She held her breath, waited, there was a shimmering in the air, but nothing more. There was magic still, but she wondered if the crystal was somehow blocking her. "I wish to see the Goblin King?" she whispered and was surprised to see the shimmering increase, warping the air, revealing the king sitting on his throne. Sarah's heart ached at the defeated slouch of his shoulders, his eyes were closed but his face was pinched in what looked like pain. She reached out, wanting to touch him, comfort him, but knew she was unable. "Jareth…" she muttered softly.

"Sarah?" She startled at the voice and the image faded.

"Jack?" She breathed, "you scared me."

"Sorry," he apologized, "I didn't mean… you looked like you were concentrating awful hard." Jack stepped forward and Sarah eyed him warily.

"Oh, I was… it was nothing. Just lost in thought I guess." She looked back to the spot Jareth's image had been and frowned. "What do you want, Jack?" She felt his hesitation and glanced at him.

"Sarah, I needed to apolo…" He started before Sarah cut him off.

"Don't." She said forcefully, "there is absolutely nothing you could say." She stood and stalked to the edge of the crystal. "You betrayed me, lied to me, and turned me over to be either killed or traded. There is nothing… nothing you could say or do to fix this." She met his gaze.

"Sarah, please," he started, "you know how I feel about you. I didn't know… I didn't," he paused, taking a shuddering breathe, "Sarah, I love you." He looked into her eyes earnestly and she closed hers.

"Jack, I can't… I don't," she sighed deeply, "I care about you, but I can't love you." She turned her back.

"I'm sorry, Sarah, if I'd known," he paused, "I know that I've hurt you. I know that I can't change what I've done, but I love you, and I will fix this, somehow. Maybe then, if you can forgive me…" He stopped waiting and Sarah couldn't find it in herself to crush him. She knew that she didn't love him now. She didn't know what might be if they had met under different circumstanced, but this wasn't different, this was now and she loved Jareth. It was all irrelavent anyway, soon she'd be dead.

"Please, Jack, just go. I can't do this. I can't…" she inhaled, feeling tears stinging her eyes, "just go."

"I will fix this Sarah. Maybe, Jareth won't be able to give up his kingdom, but I would do anything for you." He paused and Sarah turned, thinking he'd left. He stood there still, watching her. She had nothing left to say, and blinked back tears. Jack lifted a hand and pressed it to the glass. "I meant it, Sarah, you are worth more than any kingdom, and I will prove it." With that he turned and she watched him go.

"I wish it changed anything…" Sarah mumbled after he'd left, "you're still not Jareth."

…

"Kai…" Jareth sang out into the silence, "I know you're here." He stood up and glanced about the shadows of his throne room. "There you are…" he said, his eyes settling on a form in the darkness.

"Hey, big brother." Kai said, stepping into the light, "did you get my note?" Her voice was innocent and rang wickedly off the walls.

"Kai. How wonderful to see you? I hear you have something of mine." He stepped down the steps of his dias, coming to a stop several feet from her, "I'd like her back."

"Would you?" She asked, her tone mocking, "well, I gave you my terms. You want her? Hand over the throne." Jareth laughed.

"You know that won't happen. The Goblin's are mine, Sarah is mine." He stepped into her, "and you will give her back to me.

"Oh, Jareth, there is nothing you could threaten me with." Kai stated, defiantly, "you are weak, you are small, you are a pitiful excuse for a k…" Jareth, snarled, and slammed her into the wall, one hand around her throat. He smiled as she hit at him, trying to draw breath.

"Do not presume to know me," Jareth growled, squeezing, "you have no idea what I am. I am Jareth, Goblin King, and I have been for longer than you have drawn breath. You may be my sister, but you are nothing, nothing to me, not compared to Sarah." He loosened his grip slightly, as Kai's lips began to turn blue, allowing her shallow air. "Sarah, is to be my consort, your future queen. Now go fetch her for me." He released her and stepped back as she fell to the ground. Kai coughed and wheezed, desperate for air, and he watched it, detached. He was numb, and knew that the only person who could breathe life and feeling back into him was Sarah.

"Oh, brother, mine," Kai said with a burst of laughter, "you can threaten all you want, but even if you kill me, you will not get your precious, Sarah back. She is lost to you, unless you give it up."

Jareth moved to grab her, and Kai disappeared, in a spray of glitter and laughter. He watched as the glitter shimmered and fell, shining in the dim light of the throne room. He fell to his knees and hung his head.

"Sarah… where are you?"


	34. A Growing Impatience

One day turned into two, which became three, and then four. Jareth became more desperate with each day. He began to sink into a despair the likes of which he'd never felt. The first time he'd lost Sarah, he'd taken comfort in the fact that she was alive and well, now he couldn't conjure her face and that worried him, terrified him. Only her death, or a powerful enchantment could keep her from his reach. Kai wasn't powerful enough, but if she were to be believed, then Jack was helping her, and the Crown Prince of the Northern Summits was enough of a force to keep her concealed. He was surprised that Jack would take what Kai offered, she had no riches of her own, what could she possess that would buy his loyalty?

Jareth was pulled from his thoughts by the appearance of a goblin in his throne room. "What is it, Thumb? Have you found Sarah?" For one moment, Jareth felt his heart swell, but it was quickly squashed again, when the Goblin shook his head. "Then, why aren't you out looking for her?" He demanded, and Thumb shrank from him.

"You have a v…visitor, Your M..majesty." The goblin squeaked.

"How dare you! I don't want to see any visitor! I want Sarah back!" He stood and the goblin shook in his place, but didn't leave his presence. Brave or foolish? Jareth was unsure.

"S…sire, it's Jack F…Frost..," the goblin continued and Jareth's eyes widened. He strode from the throne room angrily, and stormed down the hall, a cloud of Darkness following in his wake.

As he exited the castle into the courtyard, he immediately set his sights on the treacherous prince. Without a word, he crossed to him and lifted him from the ground, a hand set about his throat. He met his silver gaze, "HOW DARE YOU!" He yelled, his voice echoing off the stone courtyard.

"Majesty," Jack managed to say, he voice rough, cut short by the hand about his throat, "let me go." Jareth ignored him and felt the stirrings of a winter breeze.

"Where is she?" He demanded and Jack's eyes flashed in response, the breeze increased to a steady wind, and still further until the bitter cold bit at Jareth's cheeks and nose. He stood firm against the wind and demanded again that Jack tell her where Sarah was.

"Put me down." Jack managed again and the scene in the courtyard turned to a blizzard, the Goblin King and Jack Frost disappeared into the whiteness.

"Do not test me, boy." Jareth snarled, standing firm and pressing back with his own magic. A black fog descended upon the pair. Pushing the swirling storm back, the frost met the darkness and from an outside view, it was beautiful, a swirl of glitter and snow, blending with the white clouds and black fog, on the inside it was a different matter. Two immortals were trapped in a stare down, Jareth's face, turning red, and then white, frosted with the cold, and Jack's skin, literally, becoming black stone.

"Jareth," Jack grunted again, forcing the words past the grip at his throat, "I'm here… on Sarah's… behalf."

"And why should I believe you?" Jareth sneered, ignoring the cold, and the frost bite, working its way into his skin.

"Why else would I be here?" Jack said, struggling to get the words out, "Knowing that you are aware… of the part I had in Kai's plan, why else, would I risk… your anger." The words were squeezed out and at the same time, Jack began to pull his magic back, the wind decreased, the blizzard ceased, until they were surrounded only by Jareth's darkness. Jack could feel his skin cracking, the glitter in Jareth's darkness was hardening his skin, and Jareth's grip on his throat was causing damage deep in the tissue. He would heal, but only if Jareth let up soon, much longer and the damage would become permanent. "Please, Jareth…. Just hear me out, if you don't Sarah will die… tonight."

…

Two Days Earlier

…

Sarah sat alone in her crystalline prison, watching the image of Jareth that she had conjured up. Since she spent so much time alone, she figured there was no better way to pass the time. Though seeing him, caused her heart to hurt, it was better than feeling alone. Over the past couple of days, she could see him growing ragged, he hardly slept, didn't eat much, and spent countless hours alone in his throne room, staring at the floor. He was so… lifeless, not at all the man she knew he really was. He looked defeated, and it was killing her.

The time she spent not watching Jareth, was occupied with Jack, trying to talk to her from the outside, and she, trying desperately to ignore him. She also frequently questioned why she was still alive, surely Jareth would have given her up by now. He was doing nothing but prolonging the inevitable. She still felt strongly, that he did not love her, not really, not enough to give up his kingdom.

She had not seen Kai since her first day here and was grateful. She did not want to see the face of Jareth's betrayer, if given half the chance she would take Kai out herself, if only for the pain she was causing her brother.

Sarah reached out, wishing for the hundredth time that she could touch him, feel the sharp planes of his face, and kiss those thin, perfect lips, one last time. Shouting drew her attention from the Goblin King, and her concentration waivered, causing the image to shimmer before disappearing completely.

"I grow impatient, Jack!"

Sarah recognized the voice and cringed at the sound.

"It's only been two days, Kai." Jack replied, and Sarah heard the sound of glass breaking.

"I don't care. I don't want to be here anymore, in this frozen wasteland!" A door slammed and Sarah heard the sound of Kai's heels against the stone floor as she approached. She stood and watched cautiously as Kai entered the room, followed seconds later by Jack. "I grow tired of this place, of its seclusion and of you." She sneered over her shoulder at Jack.

"The feeling is mutual,"Jack muttered under his breath. Kai ignored him.

"But more than anything else, I am sick and tired of knowing that you still draw breath." She snarled at Sarah. "You stupid mortal girl, you are nothing, a blip in this world, nothing more, so fragile and so worthless." Kai turned her back on Sarah.

"I want this done, Jack. I want her dead." Kai's words caught Sarah by surprise and she inhaled sharply. "I grow tired of Jareth and his stubborn insolence. I want her dead, and I want Jareth stripped of his crown. Kill her."

"Kai," Jack began, trying for patience, "two days is hardly enough time for Jareth to decide whether or not he's willing to turn over a whole kingdom."

"I don't care!" shrieked Kai, "Remove this barrier, and I will do it myself." Sarah shrank back in fear, the anger on Kai's face was terrifying.

"I won't." Jack replied, " it is too soon, Kai."

She shrieked again, and slammed a hand against the crystal wall, it shuddered and a small crack appeared in it's surface.

"Please, Kai, give Jareth a few more days, or are you no longer confident that he will not choose Sarah." Jack took a half step forward, in case he needed to restrain the raging immortal. Kai said nothing for a few moments, just studied Sarah as she tried her best to look harmless.

"Tomorrow night…" Kai said finally, "Jareth has until tomorrow's sunset, and then I will kill her with my own two hands, and this,,, this will be done." With that she turned and stalked out of the room.

** Wow, look, I updated! :) Sorry, for the lapse, I've been having difficulties trying to decide which way for the story to go. I think I've figured it out though. However, there are two possible endings. One is a nice happy, wrapped up ending, the other leads us into a sequel... Any thoughts? **


	35. Dungeon

Sarah sat up, sleep fading quickly, something had woken her, but she wasn't sure what it had been. A quick glance about, showed that the room around her prison was empty. Why had she been pulled from sleep? She chewed her lip and listened, straining for any sound any clue as to what was going on outside. There, she heard a small tapping sound, then a flurry of what sounded like wings. She threw the fur blanket aside and stood. Her white nightgown was far too short, and her legs felt the chill from the cold night air. The hard floor was cool beneath her feet, but she continued until she reached the end of her cage, she pressed a hand against the crystal, her fingers found the small crack that Kai had created the day before. She saw nothing in the low light of the room, but was certain she'd heard wings. It was probably only hours until dawn, until the time that Kai said she would kill Sarah, regardless of Jareth's decision.

Curious, Sarah ran her fingers along the crack, it was small, but still, it was a weakness. She turned and cast her eyes around her prison, looking for something, anything with which she may be able to exploit the weak spot in the crystal. The bed that she slept in was a mass of blankets and pillows, soft and yielding, nothing there would be useful against the crystal. The curtain that separated the small toilet and sink was just as useless, the rod from which it hung ran through the wall, and there was no way to pull it down, but the hooks, the hooks may prove useful.

Sarah crossed the room and stood on her tip toes, reaching up as far as she could, until finally, she was able to pull a hook loose. She grasped it firmly between her fingers and raced back to the crack. There she tried to work the end of the hook into the crack, trying to make it bigger, to chip away at its surface. She wasn't sure what the wall was made of, but as long as it wasn't diamond, she felt sure she'd be able to make a hole, and maybe, if she worked fast enough, a hole that would be big enough to slip through.

Sure enough, the crack began to grow, slowly, but definitely it was becoming more than a crack, a crevice. A small pile of dust and flecks began to build at Sarah's feet, and she continued to hack away, until the hook she'd pulled loose broke, she dropped it and raced to pull another one loose from the curtain rack. She continued on this way until there was a pile at her feet of considerable size and a number of broken hooks littered the room's floor. The hole she'd made wasn't very large, but Sarah felt certain that she could wriggle through. The problem was that the hole was high, about the same height as her shoulder, she'd have to go through head first, but maybe she'd be able to slide down the other side without falling.

Sarah reached both arms through and used what little strength she had to pull herself up and through. Her shoulder's barely fit through the hole she made, and she felt the hard surface tear into her bare skin, she bit her lip to keep from crying out, and continued on. She'd check on the injury once she was free. She kept wriggling through until her waist was free, and this is when it would get tricky, but she lowered her upper body down towards the floor and slid through, the fabric of her nightgown caught on a jagged piece and she felt it tear, as she suddenly fell on to the hard stone floor beyond her crystal.

Sarah lay for a moment, her elbow aching from the impact and her hip had hit hard enough that she was positive there would be a nice bruise later, but the gash on her shoulder was what she was most concerned about. Carefully, she sat up and surveyed the damage. It didn't appear to be too deep, but was bleeding freely. She stood and finding nothing in the room with which she could bind it, she decided that the ribbon from the night gown she wore would do, as it was ruined anyway, the crystal had torn a hole in it along her hip, exposing a strip of her underwear. Sarah didn't have time to worry about being modest, and so didn't give the tear a second thought.

The room she found herself in was vast, and unfurnished, it was filled only with cells, very unlike her own. They were far more traditional and dank, and Sarah realized she was in some sort of dungeon. A fire of silver and pink flame burned in a charcoal fire place. The walls were lined with shackles and Sarah sent a silent thank you to Jack, as she knew the crystal prison was his doing. There was only one window, but it was far too high for her to reach and it was barred anyway.

Sarah made her way to the only door in the room. It was unlocked and she thanked whatever deity might exist for that turn of luck. She slipped through silently, her bare feet made little noise on the stone floor. Once out of the room, she found herself in a dark hallway, the only light coming from small globes that hung from the ceiling, but it was enough to see that the hallway was long and spread out in either direction. _Great _she thought, _another castle._

Knowing she had a fifty/fifty chance, she took off to the left, running quickly, she found the hallway curved, and she kept on until it reached a staircase with only one direction, up. She ascended the stairs cautiously, she had no clue as to what lay around each turn and didn't want to run into anyone, except maybe Jack. She climbed two flights until she reached another level. She continued climbing, until finally the stairs ceased and she was unable to go any higher. She slipped through the door at the top of the stairs and found herself in another hallway, it was considerably better lit than the hallway she'd come from. There was only one way for her to go and she moved cautiously down the hall. Doors lined the corridor, but each was closed, she was scared to try one, afraid of what or who she might find on the other side.

Sarah had barely made it thirty steps, when she heard voices coming her way. They were muffled, but fear caused her to try the nearest door, the handle was thankfully unlocked, and she slipped inside, to find herself in a closet. She slid the door closed and shrank back into the darkness, her heart pounded and she prayed that whoever was coming her way wouldn't need anything in this closet. She held her breath as the voices moved closer until they continued on past her hiding spot. Sarah let out a sigh of relief and counted to thirty before she dared to leave the safety of the closet.

She continued on down the hall another ten steps before it opened up to an expansive ballroom, she ducked back into the shadows until she was sure the room was empty. She made her way into the center of the room, two arches led out of the ballroom, one on her right and one on her left. The room itself was circular and a chandelier the size of her whole bedroom hung from a glass ceiling, and she could see through to a star dotted sky, it was still dark out, but only barely, the first stirrings of light could be seen streaking through the darkness. Her death was moments away, and she knew that Kai would discover her missing at any moment. She took a moment and questioned why it was so quiet, certainly there should be servants milling about, but with the exception of the mystery voices in the hall, she had run into no one.

Just as the thought crossed her mind a loud clatter sounded to her left. She turned just in time to see a guard fly through the air, his silver armor was tarnished and once he hit the ground, he struggled, trying to tear the helmet from his head. Sarah stood frozen, watching as he managed to pull the helmet from his head, and Sarah was horrified, to see his skin was turning charcoal black, black spidery veins wormed their way across his face until his skin seemed to harden, turning him into a terrifying statue. The last to turn were his eyes, which were filled with fear. Sarah covered her mouth with her hand to keep from crying out.

The noise from the hallway increased and another guard flew past her, narrowly avoiding knocking her down. He didn't move after he landed and Sarah turned, unable to run, frozen with fear, as black mist drifted through the doorway. It began to settle and a figure emerged from its depths. Her heart pounded in her throat and she shook, until finally a head of white blonde hair turned in her direction, and relief filled her heart as she met the most beautiful pair of mismatched eyes.

"Jareth!" She shouted, and recognition filled his features. She moved to go to him, to run into his arms, but as she tried to take a step she found herself unable to move.

"Sarah!" Jareth cried, as she felt a hand slide around her throat, it pulled her head sharp to the side, and Sarah felt the sharp prick of a knife at her neck.


	36. Sarah's Choice

Sarah couldn't help but struggle, even as the prick of the knife cut into her neck. She gasped as it pierced her skin, and a trickle of blood tickled down to her collar bone. Jareth's eyes zeroed in on that small injury and the fury Sarah saw fill his gaze, both scared and exhilarated her.

"It's over Kai," Jareth growled, "let Sarah go."

The grip on her neck tightened and Sarah took a shaky breath. She bit her lip to keep from crying out. The cloud of dark smoke that had led Jareth's arrival into the ballroom began to swirl and thicken, its tendrils reaching out into the empty spaced around Sarah and Kai.

"Reel in your magic, Brother, before you get someone killed." Kai threatened, and Sarah couldn't stop the whimper from escaping her lips. Jareth's eyes narrowed at the sound, but his dark smoke receded. Kai bit out a bitter laugh. "Really? All this for a stupid mortal girl. Just let me kill her, Jareth, she rejected and humiliated you. How could you let that go unpunished? You should have struck her down the moment she defied you. Let her feel the full extent of a dark king's wrath. Instead, you let her go, let her live her insignificant mortal existence while you became a shell of the man you once were." With each word Kai's voice grew more angry, until she practically spat the words at Jareth. "Give her up, or give up the throne."

Jareth stood, a dark force, frightening to behold, but he shook with barely controlled rage. The cold figure that haunted her dreams and nightmares, but for once she didn't fear him. Tears sprang to her eyes as she realized, not for the first time, that she loved him. Loved him with reckless abandon. It was impossible for this immortal king to love her back, she told herself. Maybe he was infatuated with her, maybe he believed he loved her, but she didn't think it would last for long, a few years maybe. But what an amazing few years they could have been, had they been allowed to explore it. The tears flowed freely now and she knew what she must do.

In the face of that fury, Sarah didn't know for sure that he would choose the throne over her, and she could not be the reason he lost his kingdom.

"Let me go, Jareth." She whispered the words, but she knew that he heard her. Jareth met her eyes and for one brilliant moment, Sarah believed that maybe he could love her, one day. But she also knew he wouldn't be given the chance. She put all of her feelings into her eyes, willing Jareth to see, to understand. She opened her mouth to tell him she loved him, but the words broke on a sob. Kai's knife pressed into her neck and as she gazed at Jareth, she realized why none of her boyfriends had ever meant anything, she'd given her heart away long ago, to an immortal king of darkness and fury. She didn't know when she'd fallen for him, was it while she ran the labyrinth? When she'd danced with him in a dream? In the escher room? It didn't matter really, but she wished she could pinpoint the moment… it seemed important to know when it'd happened. Dimly, Sarah realized that she didn't know when it happened, only that it did.

Sarah took a shuddering breath, "Good bye, Jareth." At that moment it dawned on him what she was about to do and Sarah saw the fury turn to disbelief.

"No!" He shouted and the swirling black smoke rushed from around him, it filled the room until Sarah nearly lost sight of his fierce face, she held his gaze for a moment, _I love you_ she thought, still unable to say the words aloud. With determination, Sarah closed her eyes and turned her head, forcing the tip of the knife into her throat. It cut through the skin and she felt Kai release her grip on the knife, but it was too late. Its sharp blade bit into her, the blood flowed and Sarah slipped to her knees. She felt the life draining out of her and felt her skin grow cold, her hair caught in a whirlwind, but she couldn't open her eyes to see where the wind came from. Her life spilled across the floor of the ballroom and she heard a bloodcurdling scream. She knew its source, Jareth, her king, the only man she ever loved. She'd freed him from making the choice, freed him from having to give up his throne. She felt consciousness slipping away and it made her feel light, empty.

Her life didn't flash before her eyes, she didn't relive moments with her family. All she saw as she fell into nothingness, was a pair of beautiful mismatched eyes, and a moment in time that she'd tried to forget, to ignore. It was her biggest regret, and she realized, the moment, the very moment she'd fallen love with the Goblin King.

_Just fear me, love me, and I will be your slave._

_…You have no power over me._


	37. Jack's Choice

Jareth's control snapped as the Sarah turned the knife on herself, his magic burst from him, the swirling darkness filled through the room until it filled every crevice, every crack in its walls. He was only vaguely aware of Jack's arrival, the crown prince had entered just as Sarah had spoken her last words. When Jareth's magic reached out, he used his own to keep the dark smoke from touching Sarah. He formed a whirlwind around her and forced his way through the suffocating fog until he reached her. He lowered himself over her form and breathed ice into her, freezing her heart before it could beat its last thump. He kept the whirlwind around himself, desperately trying to keep the smoke at bay. He needed to survive Jareth's onslaught of magic.

Kai's screams were piercing, Jareth's magic sought her out, all of his rage and desperation poured into her. The smoke invaded her mouth, her nose, her eyes, any way it could infiltrate her it did. It filled her, turning her blood to onyx, her skin to smooth black granite, and still Jareth pushed. He felt his power ebb, but didn't relent, he poured everything he had into her until her lungs turned to ash, her organs disintegrated. Jareth vaporized her from the inside out. Only when her ashes separated and she disappeared into the fog, did Jareth let up. He pulled his magic back into himself and felt his legs give out. He fell to his knees and bellowed, a heart wrenching sound that made the very foundation of the castle quake.

Jack released his own magic and the whirlwind eased into a light breeze before disappearing entirely. Sarah, her frozen body was face down, one hand reaching towards Jareth. Jack had seen in Sarah's eyes everything she'd been trying to convey to Jareth. She loved the Goblin King. Jack knew that now, and though it felt like his chest had been hallowed out, he would save her. Her skin was blue and ice crystals clung to her hair, to her eyelashes. She was still beautiful but it was a cold beauty, and it broke Jack's heart.

"She's not dead," Jack whispered, knowing Jareth would hear the words, "I froze her heart before it stopped." Jareth jerked as Jack's words reached him, he felt as though the prince had struck him. He forced himself to his feet and moved to Sarah's side. He avoided the blood puddle, all of Sarah's precious life force was spilled at his feet and he scarcely believed Jack's words.

"She may not be dead, but she is lost," Jareth murmured, he dropped to her side, but couldn't bring himself to touch her frozen skin. If he could take it all back, he would. He had put Sarah in Kai's crosshairs and had been arrogant, believing himself, and her, to be untouchable. Why hadn't he just let Sarah go? After she had left the Underground, he should have forgotten about her. But she had crawled under his skin and made a home for herself in his chest, right inside his heart. Still if he'd left her alone, Kai wouldn't have been able to reach her and Sarah would be alive. Out in the world and content to believe he had never existed. But he hadn't been able to, and now he would give anything for her to live, even if it meant she was free of him.

"I can save her." Jack announced and Jareth exhaled a ragged breath.

"No," he argued, "you can't. You are the Crown Prince of the Northern Summits, but turning time is out of your reach," he paused, "just as it is out of mine." Jareth steeled himself and reached forward, he softly brushed Sarah's cheek and her icy skin burned his fingertips.

"I can give her my humanity." Jack stated softly and Jareth jerked, and turned to him sharply.

"No, you cannot. To give up your humanity is a fate worse than death, it would destroy you. It would freeze your heart," Jareth said bitterly.

"Haven't you heard, my lord," Jack whispered sadly, "my heart is already frozen."

Jack pulled all of his magic into himself searching for the only thing that the Fey shared with human beings. His skin began to glow and Jareth stopped him with a hand on his arm.

"Let me…" Jareth started but Jack shook his head.

"Sarah loves you, Goblin King, if you gave her your humanity and she returned to life, I would be an unfit consolation prize." Jack extracted his arm from Jareth's grasp and his skin began to glow anew. Jareth cast his eyes to Sarah's body and knew that he would let Jack make this sacrifice, for he was not strong enough to let his precious Sarah go.

Jack directed his humanity into a metaphysical ball in his chest. He extracted the ball until it was but a glowing orb in his hands, with one last look at Jareth, he lowered himself to Sarah's side. His knees soaked in her blood and he repressed a shiver. He took the ball and pressed it into Sarah's chest, while thawing her heart at the same moment, he willed it to beat, and forced his humanity, a part of his very soul into her lungs, her skin, her blood, her own soul. As it took hold of her, her body thrashed, trying to fight off his unfamiliar soul from her body, but he was unrelenting and eventually she went still as her soul absorbed the humanity of Jack Frost.

Jack stood quickly and gave Jareth a wild look. Already he could feel the cold seeping into his heart, but he held himself there for a few more moments, waiting to see her chest raise as she took in a shallow breath. Satisfied that she would live, Jack forced himself away, leaving Sarah alone with the man she truly loved.

Jareth thrilled at the sight of Sarah's chest rising, he worried only briefly at the puff of air that was visible in the air as she breathed. She'd absorbed Jack's humanity, cold breath was sure to prove a small side effect compared to what this would truly do to the mortal. He didn't worry about that now. Sarah was alive, they would figure out the rest later. He gathered her still form into his arms and conjured a portal out of Jack's castle, he stepped through, into his own home, with the mortal he loved, his precious Sarah.


End file.
